Holding Back the Sea
by rgm0005
Summary: Chiron always said there would be legends about him one day. He hadn't thought that would result in him fighting to the death with other Heroes, though. PJO/F/SN
1. Prologue

Summary: Chiron always said there'd be legends about him one day. He hadn't thought that'd result in him fighting to the death with other Heroes, though. PJatO/F/SN

**Disclaimer:** This is a work of fanfiction using characters and materials from the works Fate/Zero and Percy Jackson. I do not own Fate/Zero, Type-Moon, or Percy Jackson. The story I tell here about those characters is my own invention, and it should not be purported or believed to be part of either story's canon. This story is for entertainment only and is not part of any official story line; any similarities between those story lines and this one should be assumed to be drawn from those story lines, should any confusion exist.

**Holding Back the Sea**

**Prologue**

**XxXXxX**

"Have you accurately memorized the incantations of summoning? Good…only, midway through the incantation, add two more lines of incantation."

"What do you mean?"

"Isn't it obvious…? Kariya, you should know that as a magus, your abilities are more than just a notch or two below the other Masters. It will affect the basic abilities of the Servant. If that's the case, it can only be amended through the Servant's Class, and we must raise the parameter from the root up."

Predetermining the Servant's class through alterations of the summoning incantation.

"Usually, the class is inevitably decided by the summoned Heroic Spirit's own attributes, but there were two exceptions—classes that could be designated beforehand."

One of them was Assassin, a group of killers that inherited the name of Hassan I Sabah.

And the second was a class for all Heroic Spirits and could be manifested as long as the incantation was changed appropriately.

"Give the summoned Servant the attribute of 'Mad Enhancement,' Kariya! As the Master of Berserker, fight for me was all of your strength!"

**XxXXxX**

"_Ye first, O silver, O iron_

_O stone of the foundation, O Archduke of the Contract._

_Hear me in the name of our great teacher, the Archmagus Schweinorg. _

_Let the descending winds be as a wall. _

_Let the gates in all directions be shut, rising above the crown, and let the three forked roads to the Kingdom revolve. _

_Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. Shut. _

_Five perfections for each repetition. _

_And now, let the filled sigils be annihilated in my steed!_

_Set! _

_Let they body rest under my domain, let my fate rest in thy blade. _

_If thou submitteth to the call of the Holy Grail, and if thou wilt obey this mind, this reason, then thou shalt respond. _

_I make my oath here._

_I am that person who is to become the virtue of all Heaven._

_I am the person who is covered with the evil of all Hades. _

_Yet, thou serves with thine eyes clouded in chaos. _

_Thou, bound in the cage of madness. _

_I am he who commands those chains—"_

Kariya was different from other Magi. His Magic Circuits were made from other organisms that lived in him as parasites. The pain caused by inciting them and activating his circuits was incomparable to that suffered by other magi. Even as he chanted, his limbs spasmed in agony and blood seeped from shattered capillaries. Tears began to flow from his wholesome right eye.

—But even so, his concentration did not lapse.

Thinking of the duty he bore upon his back; he would not let himself shrink back, no matter what.

"—_Thou seven heavens, clad in a trinity of words,_

_Come past they restraining rings, and be thou the hands that protect the balance!"_

Finishing the incantation, he poured all his strength into the summon. It hurt, but even so, he wished and prayed: 'Please, for Sakura's sake, let a mighty hero answer my call.'

Thunder and lightning roared. Plume of smoke filled the room, carried like storm clouds on a mighty wind. The summoning circle shone with a brilliant light, from which a bronze silhouette emerged.

He wasn't tall—an inch or two above Kariya, at most. But he was striking. He looked the part of a hero reborn, his black hair windswept, and his eyes deep green. He wore armor of polished bronze and hints of gold. On his arm was a brand like tattoo, 'SPQR,' with a trident and lines beneath.

His eyes swept the room quickly, sliding over Zouken before focusing on Kariya.

"I ask of thee—are you my Master?" Berserker asked.

**XxXXxX**

Berserker didn't even have time to think about question why he was here before the Grail providing him with all he needed to know.

He was a Servant summoned to fight in the Holy Grail War. His class was Berserker—a Servant that traded his sanity in exchange for power. Berserker objected to this on principle—his mind was as sharp a weapon as any blade and he could serve as a warrior better with his wits about him then he could as a mindless thug.

But it was not his place to object—or rather, his objections would not matter.

This War was fought with the purpose of obtaining the Holy Grail and granting a single wish. Because only one wish could be granted, the war was fought to decide who it would belong too. He wondered what he would wish for, but the question mattered little, if his sanity was to be taken from him. Further, his Master had three 'Commands Seals' with which to force his compliance.

So he was just a pawn? The notion raked at him—he never liked being bound or contained.

The old man that was with his master began to clap. Berserker focused on him immediately. He didn't wish to judge, but he found the main very ugly. Granted, he had…he'd _had_ a number of friends that ranged from ugly to monstrous, so he couldn't hold it against him.

"Good…very good, Kariya. You are officially a master in this War. With your Servant, bring me victory."

His Master—Kariya—barely veiled his animosity for the man, which attracted Berserker's interest.

Once more he noticed his Master's condition—his hair was white and if he hadn't been moving, Berserker would have thought his dead. His left side was injured—or perhaps recovering from injury—and Berserker could tell it was weakened by how he favored his right side. His left eye seemed dead and he thought he could see things moving beneath his master's skin.

"Take your Servant and prepare—the Holy War shall begin soon."

Kariya grit his teeth, but he could tell it was only partially in annoyance. His Master forced himself to stand upright and began to walk out of the room. As he'd suspected, his left leg moved slowly.

Wordlessly, he fell in line behind his Master.

**XxXXxX**

Barely a moment after closing the door behind him, Berserker had to catch his Master as he fell.

He waited silently, as his Master gasped for air so greedily, it was like he'd been drowning.

Berserker looked at him silently for a moment before speaking.

"You are dying, Kariya." He risked using his Master's name to gauge his reaction. There wasn't one—he just nodded slightly in acknowledgement. Berserker pondered that briefly, deciding that he was either not the type to lord power, or perhaps completely unused to it.

"Where should we go now?" He asked.

Kariya made to reply, but began to choke in the process.

"Away from here." His Master gasped out.

Berserker nodded in acceptance, partially because those were his orders, and partially because he wanted to see this new city at least once before he lost his mind.

He scooped up he sickly Master and left the house in a blur of motion.

Knowing better then to draw attention, he moved quickly from the streets to the rooftops in a series of short jumps, careful not to move fast enough to further wound his Master.

He was in the process of deciding where to go—to a hotel or to attempt to find an abandoned house—when Kariya spoke up.

"Take a left down this street and take the fifth right, the second left, and the third right. That's my house."

If you have your own home, why were you in that old man's house, Berserker thought, but did not ask. Instead, he simply obeyed, arriving at the house in less than ten minutes.

Placing Kariya down outside the door, he turned himself into a spirit even as his Master began fumbling for keys. Passing through the door, he solidified on the other side and unlocked it from inside, holding it open silently.

Even as his Master slowly entered the house, Berserker surveyed the house, taking note of any details he found interesting.

It was dusty. _Really_ dusty. It looked as though it hadn't been used in a year; for all he knew, it hadn't been. Which told him his Master didn't have a maid, further supported by the size of his house. It also raised the question of why he hadn't used the house in so long.

He frowned.

"How long have you lived here?" He asked immediately.

Kariya had shuffled over to one of the chairs and sat down stiffly.

"Several years now, ever since I left my 'Uncle's' home." Kariya said. He pronounced the word Uncle like a swear word and with a strange tone, as if his uncle was not actually his uncle. Berserker quickly associated the term with the old man and assumed Kariya wasn't fond of the man.

He wondered why; and more, why was he working with someone he hated.

But for the moment, he had bigger concerns.

"Is this house registered in your name?" He asked.

Kariya nodded.

"We'll need to find another place soon. The other Master's we learn of you eventually, if they haven't already. But we can stay here for tonight at least, and find another place tomorrow."

Kariya looked at him with his one good eye, and something fierce burnt in it.

"It doesn't matter what happens to me, as long as I survive long enough to win this war. Are you strong enough to do that, Berserker?"

Berserker looked at his quietly, and had to ask.

"What is the wish you seek, Kariya?"

Kariya made a rasping sound that Berserker couldn't distinguish as an inhale or exhale.

"Why do you wish to know?" He asked sharply.

Berserker considered dropping the subject or being more subtle.

But if he was going to have to fight in someone else's war, he at least wanted to know why.

"I am a Berserker," He said. "And once you activate the Mad Enhancement, I will probably lose all of myself. Then, I will fight to the death with respectable heroes from across all of history, to which I will seem nothing but a savage bloodthirsty beast to be killed. I do this because I am your Servant and I have to grant your wish—I think I am at least entitled to know what it is I will sacrifice my mind, body, and pride to fulfill."

His Master fell silent, apparently only now realizing what it meant to be a Servant and a Berserker.

"It's for a girl—not like that!" He replied when his Servant sighed and smiled wryly. "There's a girl who needs help."

The smile fell away from the Berserker's face.

"Do you love her?" He asked, something glimmering in his eyes. Kariya suddenly remembered that his Servant had once been a hero, with friends and loves of his own. He also realized that they were probably all dead by now, and Berserker probably knew it.

Even so, he nodded at his Servant's question.

"I do, though probably not in the way you're thinking."

"Your daughter?"

"More like a niece, really."

Berserker moved over to Kariya's chair and sat on the armrest.

"What happened?"

Anger burnt in Kariya's eye.

"Her father had two daughters and only chose one to carry on his family traditions. _Zouken_," Kariya spat, and Berserker quickly associated it with his Uncle. "Offered to take her in, because his heir was incapable of using magecraft."

Berserker began putting pieces together in his head.

"But you can use magecraft, Kariya. Or else I wouldn't be here."

"I walked out of that house and the world of magi the moment I could."

Berserker closed his eyes and nodded.

That was the reason his family didn't have a worthy heir. Berserker could understand, then, why he would consider himself to blame for what had happened to the girl.

But that didn't explain why he was taking part in the war. It was true that being given away by one's parents was bad, but it seemed a bit strange to go this far for it. He should know that it was not uncommon to die in a Holy Grail War.

"Why are you going so far for her, Kariya?"

Kariya lifted a shaking hand to his disfigured face.

"You wouldn't know it if you saw her, but…for all that he has done to me, Zouken has done worse to Sakura."

The Servant frowned, pieces suddenly snapping into place.

"He's done this to you? Why?"

"Alone, I could not take part in the Grail War, so for one year, I was trained. But my power is nothing compared to Sakura's. I took part in this war, because if I won, there would be no need to make Sakura suffer, and she could go back to her mother and sister. But Zouken has no faith in me, so for the year I trained, he continued to make Sakura suffer. Even if he loses this war, there will be another after it—one where Sakura's child would have to fight. If I…if we fail here, then Sakura will suffer for the rest of her life and so will her children. So I have to win." Kariya's eye rolled to look up at his Servant. "I am sorry for what I will do to you…and I am sorry for what I will have to make you do. But I cannot lose. If it makes you feel better, I won't survive long after this war."

Berserker shook his head.

"Ah. It doesn't matter. As a hero, I will of course give my life to save an innocent girl. Rest, Master Kariya."

Berserker was about to stand, but Kariya stopped him, grabbing his arm. His grip was shaking and weak and the Servant could easily have broken it. But he stopped obediently, looking at his Master.

"Please…tell me you are strong. Tell me you can really save that girl."

Berserker slowly lifted his hand to Kariya's and removed it from his arm.

"Rest now, Kariya. When you awaken, I will give you all the proof you need that you summoned exactly what you needed."

**XxXXxX**

It was not long before his Master drifted off to sleep. As soon as he had, Berserker reverted to his spiritual form and drifted out of the house like a ghost.

He retraced the steps he had taken to get to the house, quickly returning to the place where he'd been summoned.

For a moment, the reborn hero stood like a ghost outside the Matou Household.

And then he drifted in through the walls.

At the very least, before he lost his mind, he would do this of his own free will. He would show that he didn't need to be forced to do what was right.

That was his pride as a Hero.


	2. A Hero and a House of Corpses

**Holding Back the Sea**

**A Hero and a House of Corpses**

Berserker literally ghosted through the house, making no sound and leaving no trace.

He quickly prioritized his objectives: The girl first, the old man second. That in mind, he covered the house quickly and efficiently.

But neither were in the house. He checked every room and found neither the girl nor the old man—just a man that looked like Kariya and a boy young enough that he was probably his son. He briefly contemplated the possibility that the old man had left, taking the girl with him. He wondered what he would do if that were the case.

He closed his eyes and shook his head.

There was no need to consider that possibility yet.

Not when there was water in the basement. Moving through pipes, spread across some surface…there was even water that was moving and changing position in ways that meant they were probably in contact with something animate and probably living.

Still intangible, he simply let himself fall through the floor.

When he opened his eyes, what he saw disgusted him.

Indeed, the old man and the girl were in the basement. As were a number of other things.

They looked like worms, but they were all far too thick and big to be normal ones. They swarmed all across the basement, squirming and writhing in sickening fashions, creating a disgusting and dizzying display.

And there, on the floor, being swarmed and covered in the disgusting creatures, was a young girl with plum eyes and hair. She didn't scream or cry, which worried him almost as much as the bugs. If she was 'okay,' she'd be screaming, he thought; any girl would.

But instead, she just stared blankly into space, with eyes that didn't really see anything.

And looking down upon her from above, the old man—Zouken—just watched. Looking at him, he thought it would have been bad enough if the old man had just felt sick pleasure at the act, because it might have caused this situation to at least be understandable, but it wasn't. A little girl was lying there, broken, covered with horrible things, and had been for a year; if Zouken was a sick enough man to take some form of amusement, Berserker could have just hated him and killed him.

But the old man didn't feel anything. He looked down at the girl and the worms with a calm, observing gaze, as if they were nothing but an experiment, and Berserker had a feeling he would have looked the same way if he had dissected the girl and looked inside.

And it didn't anger Berserker.

It nearly sent him spiraling into a rage he didn't understand. Because he didn't understand the old man, either.

He didn't understand how this man didn't feel anything about what he was doing. He didn't think it was right—he probably knew it was wrong—but he didn't care at all. And the Servant couldn't understand how someone could do that to a girl they'd taken as a part of their family, or to a nephew who was willing to risk his life to save a girl, and not feel anything.

There should have been a hint of shame or disgust at the sight of the worms, at least.

But there wasn't.

Berserker briefly entertained thoughts of how to punish the man—not even fully out of anger, but also out of a desire to at least see if pain could make the man feel regret that sickened him as soon as he'd felt it. But still he couldn't stop himself from thinking: Maybe if he threw him in that pit, it'd be less interesting?

But just because he couldn't stop the thought didn't mean he had to pay it any heed. He was better than that—he'd been taught better then that.

He didn't do things like that, even to those he hated.

But more than that, saving people was more important than empty sadism or revenge. The girl was more important than the man.

But, he thought, saving the girl would probably be easier if the man was dead.

Most of the beings that he'd fought were monsters and he'd opposed them and he'd killed them, but he'd always known they couldn't be anything but what they already were. They were primal concepts given form and purpose. He almost liked them and how black and white they made everything seem—Good and Evil, Heroes and Monsters—even though he was well acquainted with shades of grey.

But even though he hated them, he'd never hurt them or made them suffer. The faster they died, the less people got hurt, and he didn't hold a nature that could not be changed against them, even if he hated that nature. He wouldn't torture animals, even if they bit him, and he wouldn't torture monsters.

He _did_ hold Zouken's nature against him, but it didn't matter—the same rule applied. The sooner he was dead, the safer the girl would be and the less she'd have to suffer.

His decision made, he acted with the quick efficiency that had been trained into him. He had the advantage as an unseen spirit and he used it completely to his advantage. He didn't waste it on witty phrases or words, because even he knew when it was time to be silent—and he had nothing to say to a man like Zouken, with the possible exception of 'die.'

And his blade could say that as well as he could.

Materializing behind the old man, he held his sword in his hand and swung it in a wide, deadly, and inhumanly fast arc, ending his life in a single, anticlimactic stroke.

His head came off and rolled away, an expression of surprise still on it. A moment later, the rest of his body fell as well.

He looked at the corpse, unsatisfied, but knowing he'd done the right thing.

Then he looked at the girl. She hadn't even reacted.

But the worms had. They'd started moving faster, furiously, as if in response to the man's death.

Or maybe they just realized that they were next.

He narrowed his eyes as he reached out with his will, and with a violent rending sound, every pipe in the house was torn apart from the inside, as water gushed forth in streams—and at his command, all of them curved unnaturally towards the basement. Not satisfied with just the house, he reached out further, beyond where the pipes enter the building and quickened the influx. For a moment, he held it back, gathering more and more just beyond the door to the basement, the water hardened as its hydrogen bonds were strengthened, and then flooded forward as he released it, crashing into the heavy door and knocking it out of its frame.

No longer held back in the slightest, it was like someone had poured a river into the basement.

The waters fell upon the girl first, moving with tightly controlled force, washing off all the worms but not harming her in the slighted, and then curling around her in a protective embrace. At the feeling of the water, the girl was snapped out of her stupor, and though her eyes were dull, there was now some awareness in them.

The sight bolstered his confidence, and at his gesture, the Water lifted her completely above the worms and then bulldozed over them, carrying her to him before collapsing. Scooping her up into his arms, her skin dried at his touch, the remaining drops of water quickly rejoining with the rest of the flood.

"Do not worry," He said. "I've come to save you."

And with that, he began to quickly and efficiently flood the basement. For the girl's sake, he turned the water away from them, and not even a drop touched them in the torrential downpour. Some of the worms tried to crawl up the steps to safety, but sprays and waves of water rose to smack them into water. Without any remorse, he made sure every one of them died with their master.

It was hard to tell how the girl in his arms felt about that. Was she happy that they died? Was she scared of the man who'd appeared like a ghost and killed the man and creatures that had been tormenting her? Did she even consider this all real or did she just think she was dreaming?

Percy didn't know, but before he could figure it out, he had work to do.

But first of all, considering the way she was shivering, he should probably get the poor girl some clothes.

**XxXXxX**

As Berserker left the basement, he came face to face with the man who looked so much like Kariya. He had panic in his eyes, likely from how the pipes had exploded, but it shifted to a complete fear when he saw Berserker.

Swallowing, he opened his mouth to speak, but the Servant silenced him with a wolf-like glare—that he'd learnt from _actual_ wolves—before he could even speak.

"Before you say anything, you should know…everything that was down there except this girl? It's dead. Because I killed it. And now, I'm taking this girl, getting her some clothes, and leaving. If you try to stop me…" He let the threat hang in the air.

With that, he breezed past the suddenly shaken man, looking for Sakura's room.

He paused for a second, though, realizing something.

"Oh, by the way…there's probably a lot of water and property damage now. You should probably take that boy and leave."

With that said, he walked toward the room he'd seen a small girl's clothes in when he'd moved through the house.

"Get dressed and get anything you don't want to leave behind." He said, leaning against the doorframe and closing his eyes.

**XxXXxX**

"Hang on," He said to the girl in his arms not even five minutes later. "I'm taking you away from here."

The man and the boy, whatever their names were, were gone by the time Sakura was finished dressing. They'd taken a few things from around the house—valuables, he assumed.

He'd killed the old man and the worms and had saved the girl. Now he just had to take her back to Kariya; a piece of cake.

But Sakura had a question.

"…Who are you?" The girl asked, having not woken up from a dream and slowly daring to hope she never would.

For a moment, he thought about using telling her he was the Servant Berserker…but that probably wouldn't mean anything to her. And further, was there any real reason to hide his identity anymore? He'd already granted his master's wish—in less than an hour without the sacrifice of multiple Servants; take that, Holy Grail—and he didn't even know if he would be fighting any more with that having been done.

And, to be honest, maybe he just didn't want to be remembered as 'the Servant Berserker.'

So instead, he told her the truth.

"I'm Percy," He said. "Percy Jackson."

Sakura blinked at him once.

"Jack-san?"

"…Close enough."


	3. A Soldier to War

**Holding Back the Sea**

**A Soldier to War**

Percy opened the door of Kariya's house the same way he had before, which made him increasingly aware of how easily any other Servant could break in.

But he couldn't work on that problem until after his Master awoke, so he put it out of his mind.

"Are you hungry?" He asked Sakura awkwardly. "I…guess I can cook."

Sakura nodded before adopting a weird expression. For a moment she looked unsure, but she spoke anyway.

"Thank you." She said.

Percy knew immediately that she wasn't talking about the food.

He smiled warmly at her and winked.

"Don't worry about it. I have to save any damsel in distress I come across or turn in my Hero License. It's the rule."

"Are you a Hero, Jack-san?"

Percy paused for a moment as he realized something that brought a smile to his face.

"If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here."

It felt kind of nice, knowing that one had been recognized as a Hero and become a Heroic Spirit—for if he hadn't, he wouldn't have been summoned.

Even if he was not the 'real' Percy Jackson, he took pride in that achievement.

But Sakura was waiting for him, so he put the happy thought aside and looked back at the girl.

"Tell me Sakura-chan…do you like the color blue?"

The girl just looked at him in confusion. Chuckling, he patted her on the head.

"Well…don't worry about it. I was just remembering something my mother used to make me; I'm not sure how well I can imitate her, but I'll try my best."

**XxXXxX**

"The Tohsaka made their move last night." Hisau Maiya said. "And while seemingly unrelated, the Matou Mansion fell."

Of the various forms of magecraft Kiritsugu had taught her, Maiya had particular skill with the management of familiars, and he'd often trusted her with scouting and reconnaissance missions. This time, he'd assigned her to watch both the Tohsaka and Matou families—the other two great families, despite their advantages, had a simple weakness in that their locations were already defined. He didn't even bother to ask Maiya if there had been other familiars watching, for the answer could only have been yes.

But still…a move by one of the families wasn't surprising, but for one to have fallen already…

He didn't want to admit it, but even he was surprised.

Before Kiritsugu could raise a question, Maiya had already moved towards the TV.

"Please, first watch the recordings of it."

Of course. There was no point in asking uninformed questions if he didn't need too.

Maiya's prized familiars were bats, which, on Kiritsugu's suggestion, had been equipped with CCD cameras. The illusions and disguises of magi were often based on influencing the mind of the observers, but that sort of thing had no effect on a camera. They were also useful for rewatching, and even if they slowed down the familiar, you could always pair multiple cameras with multiple familiars to keep the option viable.

Because of that, the entire happenings of last night were replayed. With the initial surprise of the Matou's fall out of the way, Kiritsugu watched Tohsaka Tokiomi's golden servant obliterate a white masked Servant that could only have been Assassin.

It could have been nothing more than what it seemed.

But situations that were exactly what they seemed were pretty rare for Kiritsugu, at least when he was on a mission.

Still, times like these were the reason he had a second opinion.

"What do you think?"

"It went too well." Maiya asked repeatedly. "The time between Assassin's arrival and that Servant's response was too small. Disregarding the possibility that he was in exactly the right place at exactly the right time, it seems likely that Tohsaka's Servant was ready for them. I could accept it if it had been any other Servant, but it was an Assassin with the ability of 'Presence Concealment.' It seems probable that Tohsaka had been aware of the attack prior to it."

Kiritsugu nodded. The assessments of both master and student were identical.

Even so, the situation raised questions.

"If Tohsaka knew of the attack, why make such a public display?" Rather than talking to himself, it was more like he was sharing his thoughts with Maiya, even while not expecting an answer.

The Tohsaka family, which was now participating in its fourth Grail War, had the advantage of experience. They obviously knew that the other masters were watching them, so creating a public spectacle made little sense unless there was a hidden purpose behind it.

The Grail War was a war of legendary heroes, meaning, of course, that all of its participants were legendary. They are all famous and the information about them was readily available, including their strong and weak points. This means, it was natural that any Master who had prepared properly for the Holy War to know everything about an enemy Servant once their identity became known.

As such, it was an iron-clad rule that all Servant's hide their true identities, which was why they were all called by their class names.

In Assassin's public execution, Tohsaka revealed two things—his Servant's appearance and a form of attack that looked like a Noble Phantasm. Neither were enough for Kiritsugu to identify the Servant, but it was a risk that could have easily been avoided. If he was aware of Assassin's presence and wished for his death, his Servant could have easily done it outside the view of the watching Masters.

"He showed us something he didn't have too—which means he _wanted_ to show us." Maiya stated.

"Possibly. And if that's the case, the reason is obvious…Maiya, what happened to the Master of Assassin?"

"He requested the Church supervisors protection last night. His name was Kotomine Kirei."

At the name, Kiritsugu's eyes went cold.

"Send a familiar to watch the Church. One should be fine for now."

"…Is that okay? The Church is an area where conflict between the Master's is supposed to be prohibited."

"It's only breaking the rules if someone finds out about it. Stay at a safe distance and see that they don't."

"…Understood."

Not understanding Kiritsugu's orders, but also not questioning them, Maiya switched tapes and began to play the events that had unfolded at the Matou household.

This time, there wasn't much to see. For several minutes, Kiritsugu simply watched a recording of the front of the Matou household. He didn't bother asking what he was waiting for; if Maiya wanted him to see it, it was important, and he'd know when he saw it.

And then a man carrying a small child literally ran out of the house, pulling with him a bag and running to his car.

"Matou Byakuya and Matou Shinji." Maiya supplied.

"What are they running from?" He asked, glancing at her.

"No one was recorded entering the house," Maiya said meaningfully. "But someone certainly left."

Turning his eyes back to the screen, he was just in time to witness a man leave the house, carrying a small girl.

"Matou Sakura—formerly, Tohsaka Sakura, being carried by a man who was never recorded entering the house."

A Servant. Even without Maiya's words, that conclusion was obvious. The black haired main stood, proud and confident, exiting the house like a triumphant conqueror. He was covered in bronze armor, though it was hard to make out precise details at the distance the Familiar had been recording at.

And if his attire and unexplained arrival at the house didn't prove his nature, the supernatural speed with which he left the scene did.

"And what of the Family Head, Matou Zouken, and the Master, Matou Kariya?"

"Unknown. Neither was recorded leaving the house since my familiars were in place."

"What do you know of Matou Sakura?" Kiritsugu asked, as his research had not been focused on the younger members of the Matou Household.

"Little, except that she was formerly Tohsaka Sakura, and was given to their old allies, the Matou's, approximately one year ago. However…I looked into who might take an interest in her, and only two people seem probable. Tohsaka Tokiomi, her biological father, and Matou Kariya, a friend of Tohsaka Aoi and now her uncle. And…"

"And Tohsaka already has a Servant." Kiritsugu finished. "Could they be working together? If Matou Kariya was a friend of Tohsaka's wife and now the uncle of one of his daughters…"

"All records seem to imply that they had a falling out approximately one year ago." Maiya said, in a tone that implied nothing.

Kiritsugu understood her nonetheless.

"At which point, Tohsaka had already been chosen by the Holy Grail and Matou Kariya was designated as the intended Master for the Matou family." He said. "As well as when the prodigal son returned to the Matou family and was quickly accepted as the Master in the upcoming war."

"You think they've been working together."

Kiritsugu wasn't sure how to answer. Up to this point, he'd been sure that the conflict between Tohsaka Tokiomi and Matou Kariya had been real. And he'd thought Matou Zouken's acceptance of his nephew, who'd strangely decided to return, was an act of desperation.

And yet…

"I don't know what to think yet. But I know that Matou Kariya's first target was not his supposed enemy Tohsaka Tokiomi, but his own Uncle, Zouken. I think that Tohsaka's daughter, Sakura, was, for some reason, spared from the violence in the Matou Household and taken to a different location, completely unharmed. I think Zouken was never recorded leaving, while his Eldest Son and Grandson were sent fleeing. I think that if, theoretically, someone chose to oppose an alliance between the Tohsaka's and the Matou's, everyone in a position to realistically do so is either dead or gone. And I think that everything which happened at the Matou Household, perhaps by coincidence, took place while everyone was busy looking at Tohsaka's Servant."

"And if that theory happens to be correct…" Maiya began, looking at the screen once more. "Then Tohsaka may as well have two Servants. In the worst case scenario…of the three Knight Classes, Lancer and Archer are both unaccounted for."

No. That wasn't the worst case scenario.

The worst case scenario was that his suspicions were correct and everything that happened at the Tohsaka manor was an act and Assassin was, somehow, still alive. In which case, there was a team of three Servants in this war, including an Assassin that nobody would suspect.

And he wasn't sure the other two Servants being Archer and Lancer was the worst possibility.

Just the worst one he'd thought of yet.

But no matter what-whether it was a ploy or there was a team of Servants—one thing was absolutely certain.

In this city, there were now two Servants with unknown classes and no real evidence for which they belonged to or their true identities, except for the fact that they could not be Saber or Assassin.

And if that was the best case scenario, he wasn't comforted.

**XxXXxX**

Beside the city of Fuyuki, a plane landed, and with its arrival, the last of the Seven Servants arrived.

Even if it was winter in Japan, it couldn't even be compared to the frigid cold of Einsbern Castle. Or, perhaps, it was simply the fact that this was the first time Irisviel was been allowed to move freely and leave the castle.

Either way, as the Homunculus stepped out of the plane, sincere happiness filled her heart.

In order to avoid drawing attention to themselves, both Irisviel and Saber had put aside their usual clothing and disguised themselves in order to blend in with the people of the city.

Or, at least, that was the intention. But perhaps a Homunculus raised in a secluded castle and a king from an era over a thousand years before the modern one were not the best judges of 'common sense.'

With her silk blouse, knee-high boots, and silver fox-fur coat, Irisviel failed utterly in her attempts to blend in with the people of Japan. But given her long silver hair and beauty, it would have been impossible for her to fade into the crowd to begin with.

Completely oblivious to this fact, the smiling woman turned and smiled brightly at her companion.

The soul of the hero Arturia functioned differently from other Heroic Spirits, though she didn't know why. Even now, she was unable to dematerialize. That draw back wasn't something that could be easily accounted for—unlike all the other Servants, Saber couldn't abandon her physical form to preserve her Master's prana. More than that, she couldn't go invisible to avoid drawing attention, so they'd had to dress her in modern styles and had her accompany Irisviel.

And rather than being worried about the downsides, Irisviel was amused.

Glancing quickly at the Servant, she turned her face away and laughed quietly.

Saber looked at her silently for a long moment.

"…When you laugh like that, it means you're hiding something. Tell me what it is."

"It's not a problem for you to remain physical; as long as you do, I get to have fun choosing your clothes like this.

The reborn hero, a woman who wasn't even 155 centimeters, was dressed in a dark, French suit, and once more disguised as a man.

Whether it was the suit or her features, the fact remained that she blended in no better than Irisviel.

Still, even having been dead in every way that mattered for many centuries, the King still had a basic grasp of the modern era. Looking down at herself, she had to ask.

"Irisviel, are these clothes really fit for walking around town?"

**XxXXxX**

Several hours after eating breakfast, Sakura had decided to go to sleep—on his lap. Sitting around waiting for his Master to wake up while a small girl slept on top of him wasn't the most exciting experience of his life, but Sakura had grown attached to him since he'd saved her, and he didn't have the heart to tell her she couldn't.

Percy kind of wanted to go to sleep, even if he didn't really _need_ too. He had a short attention span and had been waiting for his master to wake up for more than twelve hours—eight of which had been spent with a little girl sleeping on top of him. He was bored.

But he was also a Servant and he now had a duty to protect two people. He'd already proven how easy it was for a Servant to invade someone's house and kill them, even if they weren't Assassin. At least this way, he should be able to sense the presence of other Servants, except ones with Presence Concealment.

Further, he kept the people he was trying to protect close by, in case something happened.

Which, again, it hadn't.

As it was, he was beginning to worry about the amount of prana he was wasting, simply by staying materialized.

But then his Master awoke.

"Berserker?" He immediately asked.

"I'm right here." He said, keeping his voice low. "Please be quieter, Master."

Kariya blinked a few times to correct his blurred vision, turning his head towards his Servant and promptly freezing at the sight.

"Sakura?" He asked, his voice nearly ragged.

Berserker rested a hand gently on the girl's head.

"She's sleeping. She's had a long…year, you said?"

Kariya completely ignored the question. Standing so quickly that he nearly fell over, he quickly shuffled towards them, his speed making his limp all the more pronounced.

Not so much kneeling as collapsing to his knees, he reached out towards Sakura with trembling hands, only to draw back, not wanting to wake her.

"How…? Why…?" He asked, unable to even comprehend the situation.

"It was your wish to save her, Kariya," Percy said. "And your wish is my command."

**XxXXxX**

Moving as gently as he could to avoid waking Sakura, he set her down and followed Kariya into another room of the house. He didn't know which one—he hadn't really had a chance to go exploring.

Kariya stood by a window, looking even weaker than before, even though only a day had passed. His Servant quickly joined him, scanning the outside of the house. He didn't sense any other Servants, but he still didn't know where Assassin was. The thought that a Servant, even a physically weak one, could be watching him or preparing his attack without him ever knowing was nerve-wracking. He'd need to find that Servant and kill him as soon as possible; only then would he be able to guarantee his Master's safety.

"What happened?" Kariya demanded, though he kept his voice low as his Servant had asked.

"I promised that when you awoke, I would provide proof that you summoned exactly who you needed." Percy smiled. "And maybe I wanted to be a hero again, just for a little while. I wanted to show you that I'm not someone who needs to be forced into helping people. And also…your method was too slow. If I had to beat every Servant to save her, it would have taken all week. So I just went and saved her myself."

Kariya let out a sound that could have been a laugh or a choking cough.

"And Zouken?"

"Dead. I cut off his head."

Kariya looked relieved, but also concerned.

"In the basement," He said. "There are thousands of worms. They're Zouken's and it would be dangerous to leave them there—"

"Then it's a good thing I killed them all, too. I hope you weren't too attached to that house—there's a lot of property damage, now."

"I'm not, and I'd be just as happy if I never went back again. I wouldn't have in the first place, if not for Sakura." He grimaced. "What about my brother and Shinji?"

"The man and the boy? I scared them off. They were gone by the time Sakura and I left."

Kariya swallowed, beginning to let himself believe it was really over—that Sakura was really safe and Zouken really dead. It was like something out of a dream for him—something he'd desired and strived for, but could scarcely believe was actually possible, much less this easy.

"Thank you. Thank you so much. The Grail War hasn't even begun and yet, my wish has already been granted." He said, bowing as deeply as he could in his state.

And then, he hesitated.

If his wish had been granted, then he had no need to take part in the Holy Grail War.

Which was the same as saying: He didn't need a Servant any longer.

And yet, for someone who'd done for him what his Servant had done, dispelling him was something he couldn't even consider. Yet, at the same time, keeping him around meant that he would have to constantly fight for his life against the other Servants.

Once again, Kariya realized the tragedy inherent in the Servant system—great heroes resurrected for the sole purpose of fighting to death for the wishes of others. But even so…he could not say he regretted in the least his summoning of Berserker.

But in that case, wouldn't it make more sense to ask Berserker for his own opinion?

"What do we do next, Berserker?"

The Servant blinked, surprised, not so much by the question, but as if he had thought the answer obvious.

"Naturally, I will continue to fight, Kariya."

"Why? For what reason do you continue to fight? You have already granted my wish, so…there is no reason for you to continue to risk your life in this war."

Berserker shook his head.

"Even if your wish has been granted, my work is not yet done. Have you really not even thought about it? At this rate, you will surely die soon, Kariya."

The nature of what he was implying took Kariya by surprise and made him stiffen, but the Servant continued as if he hadn't noticed.

"At the end of this war, Servants like me will fade away, even if we survive until the end. And you…will die shortly after. And then, Sakura will be alone in this world. Surely, even if you don't value your life, you should at least be worried about that."

"…Even after I am gone, it will be okay. She will still have her mother and sister—"

"Her mother and sister could not keep her from being given to the Matou's, Kariya." Berserker said, having learnt the whole story from Sakura. "And so they cannot be trusted to keep her safe."

His words made Kariya remember the reason Sakura was no longer a Tohsaka and he clenched his hands into fists.

"It's because of Tokiomi," He all but snarled. "Aoi couldn't even hide her tears when I spoke to her a year ago, and yet Tokiomi had still given his own daughter away!"

"Then you realize, if you give her back to them, even if Aoi and Rin disagree, they could not keep her safe. And…" Berserker paused, briefly wondering if he should say this and deciding to go for it. "How do you even know that Sakura wants to return to her family?"

Kariya had no answer to that, so his Servant just kept talking.

"She is your niece, now, Kariya. It is unlikely anyone would object to you looking after her. I think that she would be safest with you. Perhaps she can reconcile with her mother and sister, but it's not something that would happen quickly, and she would need someone to watch over her, at least until she does. And I think that person should be you, Kariya, so…I still have a wish. And I am willing to fight in this Grail War if I can have it granted."

"…Even if that is true…if you had the Holy Grail, you could make any wish you wanted. You could even wish for a new body and live again."

His Servant closed his eyes and quietly chuckled.

"That may be true, but…while it would be nice to live again, if I have been given a chance to fight for a wish and live for even just one week…I think I'd rather spend both that wish and that time saving the life of a good man, rather than waste it on things that don't matter. I may not look it, Kariya, but I have already lived one life…I think you should have the chance to do the same."

And then, he surprised his Master by kneeling before him.

"When you summoned a Hero, I was the one who responded. And I found a good man who needed help; at the very least, I think there's a reason I am your Servant. I let my body rest under your dominion. So let thy fate rest in my blade…Matou Kariya."


	4. Heroes Clashing

**Holding Back the Sea**

**Heroes Clashing**

"What should I do?" Kariya asked, while Berserker dressed in real clothes.

In this War, it was natural for Servants to fight, but first they had to find each other. Normally, both the Matou and Tohsaka families were at a disadvantage in this regard, as their locations were defined.

But since Berserker had basically destroyed the Matou household, it now only applied to the Tohsaka. Which meant that there were five Servants with unknown locations scattered throughout an entire city—and he probably wouldn't be able to sense Assassin.

Finding four people in a city wasn't easy, but Servants could sense each other. As such, in theory, if he walked around long enough, he'd probably be able to find the locations of at least four Servants, even if it required giving his own away.

Which was another reason he was leaving. It was the type of tactic that would take time, but any of the Seven Servants could do it if they tried. And if one did and walked by this house, they would notice his presence immediately, which would also give away his Master's location.

So Berserker had chosen to leave and explore the city in order to protect his Master.

Also, needless to say, he was much better at looking like a normal person than Irisviel.

"Leave this house as soon as I'm gone. Just pack your things, take Sakura, and find a safe place as far away from here as possible." Berserker murmured, his voice carrying easily through the silent house as he pulled his new shirt over his head. He sighed, a low, satisfied sound—it felt good to be in normal clothes again.

"Where should we go?" Kariya asked, wincing slightly as Percy cracked his neck and shrugged.

"Don't tell anyone—not even me—but if something happens, don't hesitate to use a Command Seal to summon me. The bond through which you feed me prana shouldn't care about distance, so, if possible, leave this city. I'll use this house as a front and pretend it's our base, so if you need to contact me, call this phone. If you can't leave the city through normal methods, then call me. This city has a river through it, so if needed, I can get us out by boat, but I'll need some time in advance to prepare. If I'm not at the house, don't leave any messages—hang up and call again; emergencies are what Command Seals are for."

Kariya licked his dry lips, looking for lose ends they might have missed.

"The other Masters might find us before I can get out." He said. "Or they could come after us. What should I do if we run into one? Just summon you?"

"If you see an enemy Master or Servant, don't summon me unless you think they're aware of your presence—my presence would give your location away. If they seem like they're going to just pass you by, let them do so, wait until they're out of sight, and then call me with the telephone, because they could still be nearby and we don't want them to know where you are. I'll come from a different direction and lead them away to fight. After I'm done fighting, I'll scout out the surrounding areas, so give me a number to call you at. If I give the all clear, change location; I'll watch over you from a distance."

"And you're sure you don't need any help?"

"No offense, Kariya, but a Servant's most vulnerable point is his master. In your condition, it's unlikely you would even be able to beat the other masters in a fight, and if this was a battle between magi, we would probably lose. But as this is a fight between Servants, I alone am enough. Have no fear, Kariya; I will be victorious. Just keep the girl safe."

Looking down at himself, he felt something was missing.

"Ah! I can't forget these." Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a wristwatch and a whistle. "Okay, I have my watch, I have my whistle and I have my pen. Enemy Servants, look out."

Kariya frowned.

"Are these…Noble Phantasms?"

"Hm…my pen is. But not the watch and whistle; neither was important enough to my legend to become Noble Phantasms. Still…they're useful in their own ways. Think of them as being like…my armor."

"Ah, I see." Kariya lied. "Wait…your pen?"

"_The pen is mightier than the sword!_" Percy exclaimed suddenly, having waited for that question, before laughing. "Don't worry about it; I'll be fine."

"Okay…" Kariya conceded, looking skeptical.

**XxXXxX**

Never having left the Einsbern Castle before, Irisviel had desired to walk around a town for the first time.

Originally disagreeing, Saber conceded to escort her after learning she'd never been away from the Castle before.

After all, escort was also a duty of a knight.

All the way to nightfall, the pair strolled aimlessly throughout the city. However, while Irisviel was enjoying every moment, Saber, despite looking calm on the surface, was full of nervous tension. Whether the place was beautiful or a new experience, one fact didn't change—this place was enemy territory. As Saber was not a class that excelled in searching for the enemy, it wouldn't be surprising if someone else noticed her first, and while a straightforward attack in the middle of the city was unlikely, it wouldn't be strange for a well-timed surprise attack.

However, she still went along with Irisviel's wish, because of her unfaltering confidence in her sword. She had been summoned as Saber, the strongest class in the Grail War, and she is unsurpassed in close combat; she is certain that she could clear an escape route even in a disadvantageous situation.

Perhaps she even desires a surprise attack, so that she could withstand it fair and square and go in for the kill. If anyone was enough of a fool to make her their enemy, then she would crush them with her own power.

"Hey, Saber, do you want to see the beach, next?" Irisviel asked, unable to hide her excitement.

Not sensing any enemies, Saber nodded with a smile. She had sworn that she would protect Irisviel, so as she enjoyed herself, Saber would protect her to the very end.

**XxXXxX**

On the opposite shore of the bridge that crossed the Mion River, there was a vast seaside park. In the summer, couples would be there even at night, but in the winter, it was too cold for most people to find enjoyable. But Irisviel had grown up in a place that was often much colder, and had long grown accustomed to it.

As such, it was only she and Saber on the shore that night.

"We should have come here when it wasn't so dark," Saber said apologetically.

"It's fine. The sea is beautiful at night, too, when it mirrors the night sky. Tell me, Saber, do you like the sea?"

"…In my country—in my time—what was beyond the sea was always the enemy. It was annoying, not attractive." Saber closed her eyes as if in regret. "Sadly, it would seem that the more things change, the more the stay the same."

Irisviel immediately settled down.

"An Enemy Servant?"

"Yes," Saber confirmed.

The Servant was approaching and making no effort to hide that fact. At this distance, it was clear that he was aware of Saber's presence, but he simply continued to shorten the distance between them.

"He's coming this way."

"Hm. Does he not want to choose the battlefield, or does he simply think it makes no difference?" Irisviel wondered without a trace of tension in her voice. In this situation where battle seemed inevitable, her lack of react showed her complete faith in Saber's skills. "Moving in as soon as he became aware of you. Perhaps he's a Servant looking for a frontal fight like you, Saber?"

"Certainly, he seems like a straightforward opponent."

"Then shall we wait for him here, Saber?"

The Servant of the Sword nodded firmly.

The enemy was approaching more quickly now, apparently no longer wary that his targets might run away. As Saber stood firmly in quiet self-confidence, Irisviel turned on the small palm-sized device hidden in her pocket. A gift from Kiritsugu, it was a 'transmission machine' that worked without prana in a way she didn't understand, which allowed him to follow a path to Irisviel's position. She turned it on as she had been instructed too, but still…

Irisviel trusted in Saber's power. Any enemy below Saber would be annihilated in a single strike by her proud Servant—that was the type of easy end she expected.

Yes, more than anything, she wanted her Servant to end the fight before Kiristugu entered the battle.

**XxXXxX**

The Servant the walked onto the beach was…not what they'd expected.

He was taller than the average Japanese man, which, of course, meant he was quite a bit taller than Saber. In the darkness, it was hard to make out precise details, though he had dark hair. What surprised them, though, was what he was wearing—like Saber, he was wearing more modern clothing. Unlike Saber, his modern clothing consisted of a blue, long-sleeved shirt and jeans.

He glanced once at Irisviel before focusing completely on Saber.

"Finally…I've been looking for hours, but I couldn't find any of the other Servants. I even walked around unarmed, but no one was willing to attack me. I'd thought this war would be exciting, but up 'til now, it seems like I've spent most of my time waiting for something interesting to happen."

Brushing back his hair with one hand, he narrowed his eyes.

"I have no grudge against you," He said. "But we are both Servants in this War. Having met like this, it's natural for us to fight."

It seemed almost like an apology, but the Servant seemed resolved. Saber nodded regally in agreement to his words.

"You and I," He continued. "Likely came from times that were centuries apart. But since you're here, you must have been a hero, so…it's a pleasure to meet you, though the circumstances could be better."

Irisviel was somewhat surprised at how pleasant their meeting with their first Servant was going, but Saber didn't seem surprised.

"A pleasure," She agreed smiling slightly. It was a smile she reserved for those willing to participate in a straightforward life-or-death battle. "If this were a battle for honor, I would introduce myself, but we both fight for our masters in this era. Such pleasantries seem out-of-place before a fight to the death."

He gestured dismissively.

"Don't worry about it; I understand. Even so, I am Servant Berserker." He said, understanding the need to keep true identities hidden, even if it probably wasn't a problem for him in this time period.

Even Saber was surprised at his words.

Berserker smiled easily, completely relaxed before her disbelieving stare.

"Mad Enhancement isn't on at the moment, obviously." He said.

"…Ah." Saber said.

Even so, it was strange for a Berserker to not use Mad Enhancement—it was their class ability, allowing them to boost their strength higher than it had been even when they were alive. What purpose was there in summoning a Berserker if one didn't use Mad Enhancement?

But then a thought struck her; a number of heroes that qualified for other classes could also be summoned as Berserkers. As such, if one summoned a Servant that would normally be of the Lancer class as a Berserker, but didn't take away their minds…

Wasn't that the same as summoning a Lancer?

The same could, in theory, apply to any class. So, even if the slots of the three Knight Classes were already taken, couldn't one still summon on as a Berserker class and simply not use Mad Enhancement?

A glance at Irisviel confirmed that she'd realized the same thing.

A Berserker without Mad Enhancement could effectively be any class.

Which raised the question…

If he wasn't really a 'Berserker,' then what was he?

"I am Servant Saber," She said, introducing herself quietly.

She got a bad feeling when Berserker smiled, seeming completely unworried about fighting the strongest of the Knight Classes.

"Then come, Saber."

Prana surged around Saber like a storm and the next instant, her body was wrapped in silver and azure armor.

In response, Berserker simply lifted his arm to check his watch. Pushing a button, it unfolded magically into a four foot wide shield of polished bronze. Holding it in front of him as he bent his knees, he hid most of his body from view; his eyes and forehead could be seen above it, and part of his shins and feet below.

Saber narrowed her eyes at the shield, wondering if it was Berserker's Noble Phantasm. She was aware of several legendary shields, but none that were quite like Berserker's.

And also…

"Why have you not donned your armor, Berserker?" She asked crossly.

She couldn't see his mouth, but she had the feeling he was smiling.

"I'm sorry if I've insulted you, but with five Servants after you, I think I should be a bit careful with what I do with my prana; I really can't afford to waste any more than necessary and I'm more used to fighting without armor, anyway. I'll make do with this shield, for now."

"Do not say I didn't give you a chance to reconsider."

"Saber…" Irisviel called, swallowing nervously. Her voice made Berserker's eyes flicker towards her for a second before returning to Saber. "Be careful; something isn't right. I can support you with healing magecraft but no more."

Saber nodded.

"Leave Berserker to me. But…I admit I feel the same way. For starters, if Berserker is here…where is his Master?"

As Saber said, just by his absence, Berserker's master was a danger. Usually, a Master would stand by his Servant to instruct and assist as the battle progressed. Which meant that Berserker's master either had full faith in him or he was lurking around nearby.

Irisviel wasn't completely sure which option was more worrisome.

"He could be preparing a trick…be careful, Irisviel. I'll trust you to watch my back."

"…Understood. Saber, bring me victory."

"I will."

Saber took a step forward—

And in a burst of speed and prana, covered the distance that separated the two Servants in an instant.

Bringing her sword around in an attack that could have cut her unprotected opponent in half, her hands nearly shook from the vibration as it connected with his shield. Heedless, she fell a step back and swung at his now unprotected torso, but he caught her sword with the edge of his shield and pushed it to the side. She turned it into a swing, trying to hit his unprotected left side, but he brought the shield back around in an instant.

Saber tried to force down his shielded arm, but he held firm against her strength, even with one arm.

Narrowing her eyes, she quickly retreated. The moment she was out of reach, he covered himself once more with his shield.

He was strong, to hold off her two handed attacks with one arm, but then, she wasn't really going all out, was she? She'd held off on using Prana Burst as much as she could have, because she'd been wary of a trap. But she'd accomplished what she'd intended too when she'd force him to block her attacks—she'd mad him show her what was behind it.

The answer was nothing. He wasn't holding any weapons—he only had that shield. And without his armor, she was confident that she could end the fight quickly, if she could get past it. At the same time, however, his lack of any other weapons and his complete lack of fear at being unarmored implied that the shield was his Noble Phantasm, and with an unknown effect, approaching could be dangerous.

And yet, when she'd approached, she'd felt no danger. If there was some trick to the shield, she probably would have felt it.

But then, the shield could just be a Defensive Noble Phantasm. Being a shield, it would make sense, and it had withstood her blows admirably.

But that wouldn't make sense. If his Noble Phantasm was completely defensive, how did he intend to win this War?

Regardless of what the truth was, she wouldn't find out by standing back. By the way he'd blocked her blows, Saber felt that hammering past his defenses in a normal manner would be difficult and require an extended battle, even if he didn't hurt her.

And also, if she had a choice, she'd rather be on the offensive.

She closed the distance with another Prana Burst. This time charging her sword as well and bringing it down in a powerful two handed slash with the intention of ending the fight in a single decisive blow, she met the shield with the full force of her blade and saw the surprise flicker through Berserker's eyes as his defense faltered and she pushed the shield down.

And then her instincts suddenly warned her that she was about to die.

For as Berserker's shield had lifted to catch her blow, he'd revealed what he'd kept hidden behind it—a three foot bronze sword that had been completely covered by the four foot shield. Thrusting it forward at an upward angle, it would have slide right under her ribs and into her heart if she hadn't pushed off the shield I order to stepped back.

But she was off balance and she knew it.

What was worse; Berserker knew it too.

Dragging his still swinging sword to the side, he pulled it into the path of Saber's blade, blocking the sword as she tried to pull it close for protection. With his other arm, he swung the edge of his shield at her neck in a blow that could have broken it, forcing Saber to take another step back.

Pushing her blade away, Berserker brought down his bronze sword in an attempt to literally disarm her, forcing her to continue her retreat, even as he stepped in and shoved her roughly in the chest, making her stumble back even further. Bringing his sword around the edge of his shield, he attempted to stab her in the neck, but having had enough, Saber leapt back a few meters in a burst of prana.

Knowing she would recover her balance by the time he closed the distance, Berserker halted, returning to his slight crouch and hiding his sword once more behind his shield.

Saber narrowed her eyes even further, looking at her stationary opponent.

He'd successfully pushed her back. It was only because he'd managed to take her off-guard and had exploit it properly—they both knew that, which is why he didn't press his assault further—but the simple fact that he _had_ taken her off-guard and kept her from recovering spoke a great deal about his skill.

The techniques weren't anything special, but he'd executed them flawlessly. Furthermore, he'd been able to take a two-handed swing from her sword on one arm and hold it back, even while she used Prana Burst—besides his skill, he was a great deal stronger than her, physically. His sword's movements weren't so much quicker as they were more agile than hers—an advantage of a smaller, one handed blade. In addition, the simple combination of a sword and shield proved dangerous when combined with everything else; whether it was his sword or his shield, he could defend with one and attack with the other, whilst her one weapon was preoccupied. The sword was dangerous, but so was the shield; if it had actually hit her neck, it might not have just broken her neck—it might have taken it clean off.

In order to compensate for the fact that he had two weapons to her one, and the strength to match her with either of them, she'd have to dodge instead of block, which likely meant giving ground. She was confident that she wouldn't be hurt, but if she couldn't hurt him or push him back, then she'd have to keep giving ground all the way to the sea.

There was, of course, an answer to that—she could just use more power in her Prana Burst. But if she had no idea how much prana he had available, it was a risky strategy. His lack of armor had proven itself less foolhardy and more cunning. If he wasn't expanding prana to maintain his defense, he was already at an advantage compared to her, as he expended less. It wasn't hard to maintain her armor, but it did require a constant cost and the gap between how much energy she and Berserker were expending was steadily growing. If she constantly used Prana Bursts to exceed his strength, she could likely push him back.

But that was likely all. If he was being overpowered, he would just fall back. Despite being somewhat embarrassing to get pushed back, it wasn't necessarily harmful, nor was it even a defeat. One could fall back to gain time, to prepare, to simply retreat to a more advantageous position. If she began to overpower him, he'd just fall back or put on his armor. The prana cost too maintain such an assault could quickly get out of hand and spell her defeat—it would likely be cheaper, in the long run, to simply use Excalibur, but that would reveal her true identity to anyone who may be watching.

Her position was disadvantageous and any tactic she tried _could_ backfire. But doing nothing would be no better.

At the very least, she had to do _something_.

As her thoughts raced, Berserker waited patiently. It was obvious to Saber he wouldn't move until it was useful to do so. He was calm, but Saber had witnesses the sudden storm of motion that had followed her single, unwise attack and wasn't deceived.

She made her decision.

Saber's secondary Noble Phantasm, Invisible Air, is quite different from her Excaliber; it cannot annihilate the enemy, but it's easier to use, and is the type of weapon that can win a fight if used well.

Even so, unless she released it, it was just a 'sheath' that rendered her sword invisible. On its own, that was not a powerful effect, but it hid her easily recognized sword, so Saber found it useful. If she dispelled it, it wouldn't be strange for it to be recognize—and for it to reveal her true identity.

But, if it was used right, as she said, it could turn the tide of this battle. And revealing her identity to a single enemy Servant wasn't bad if it could bring her victory—she couldn't sense any other Servant's in the area and she doubted that Berserker would be so at ease if there were more than one potential opponent. Against a single opponent with a single blade, a sword and shield was a great advantage, but if it was against two opponents, that advantage disappeared.

The full force of Invisible Air…it could not defeat an opponent by itself, but if the full force of its winds were to connect at close range, it would not be unsurprising for even a Servant to be blown away. In the moments after that, while Berserker was of balance as she had been before, she would end the fight, and it would not matter what he saw.

Her mind made up, she raised her sword.

"Prepare yourself, Berserker." She said. "I will end this battle here and now."

Berserker was silent, and simply looked at her carefully over his shield. Saber knew that he was probably plotting out a course of action; the moment she closed the distance, she'd have to act quickly. When Berserker had first taken her by surprise, his first attack would have killed her if she hadn't dodged. All of his ensuing attacks had been the exact same way; aimed for a lethal area. If she messed up her timing, she would probably die.

But…rather than be afraid of that possibility, Saber would meet it head on. Rather than worry about what _could_ happen, she would decide her own future with her blade.

And…she already knew how to keep it from happening.

No more words were exchanged. She moved forward with all of her power, the blade of her sword behind her and—

"Invisible Air." She said calmly.

The tightly packed wind exploded with tremendous force. Saber's light body was pushed forth at three times her previous speed and she slammed into Berserker's defense like a supersonic bullet. Rather than even attempt a defense, it was all the Servant could do not to fall under the attack. Despite his strength, superior size, and defense, Berserker was push back nearly three meters by the attack.

In the brief, quiet moment after the attack, Berserker looked at her in blatant shock. Whether it was the force of her attack or the sight of the true form of her blade, for that one moment, he was too surprised to take advantage of the situation.

Which was exactly what she had expected. Amongst Heroic Spirits, reputation alone could be a weapon, especially when revealed in such a forceful manner. It stilled Berserker's blade for just a moment and that was long enough.

Invisible air formed once more around her blade. For a moment, Berserker just seemed confused as the blade faded from sight again, but then his eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen.

It said a lot about Berserker that, even knowing what would happen, he chose to attack rather than disengage. His blade came around his shield, poised to sink deep into her throat, and if he had been a moment faster to recover from his surprise, maybe it would have been enough.

But he hadn't been and it wasn't.

Invisible Air exploded again, unraveling not into a surge of chaotic air, but into a focused, powerful strike that hit like the hammer of a god.

It connected with Berserker and flung him away as if he weighed nothing.

And through the slipstream left in his wake, Saber followed.

Berserker struck the ground again nearly fifty meters away, landing with enough force that even a Servant should be badly hurt, and lay prone. Saber was upon him in an instant.

He nearly managed to take her by surprise as he stabbed upwards with his sword, recovering in an instant when it should have been impossible—but even so, she smacked his blade away with a contemptuous flick of her own, knocking it clean out of his hands.

And then she brought down Excalibur.

Predictably, he brought up his shield, but without his sword, he had to rely on it. For her part, she could just hammer on it until it went away.

Charging her attacks with prana, she hammered the shield again and again, quickly causing its surface to bend and dent.

And then, suddenly, she was striking dirt.

She quickly realized what had happened. Realizing he was trapped, Berserker had reverted to his spiritual form and slide away; likely underground. It was an annoying tactic, mainly because it was one she couldn't imitate, but not one that was impossible to overcome.

In their spiritual form, Servants can pass through normal objects just fine, but it was a different story for objects that were densely packed with mana—like her armor that was made entirely out of it and her Noble Phantasm Excalibur.

In addition, it had disadvantages. Servants had to materialize in order to fight or interact with physical objects. If she struck Berserker in his present state, her blade would shear right through him, shield or no shield.

And since Servants could sense each other, she knew exactly where he was going.

Not that she needed to know—no Heroic Spirit would just run and leave their Noble Phantasm behind.

Berserker was fast, but she was faster. She was standing over his lost sword in an instant, slashing at apparently empty air.

Berserker reappeared, choosing to face her once more rather than die. But without his sword, he could do nothing but defend himself and she would batter down his defenses eventually. Apparently realizing this as well, Berserker embraced the same tactic she had used earlier.

He gave ground.

Their roles were now reversed. After trying to retrieve his sword and failing, Berserker's back was now to the sea. Unlike Saber, he had no way to quickly break away or escape and Saber refused to let up. She pressed on with attack after attack, beating him back quickly. She did not just push him back a few steps as he had her, but by entire meters, drawing them closer and closer to the sea.

Flashes of light were caused by the occasional clash of her sword and his shield when he could not retreat quickly enough or tried to change the tide of the battle. In the sparks, they could see each other's faces for brief moments, though the light faded as swiftly as it was born.

In those brief moments of illuminate, she was able to see his face more clearly. His eyes drew her attention, because she felt there was something wrong with them—that they were lacking something that should have been there.

It was hard to read those eyes, especially in those brief moments of light.

But, she thought, for someone who was being pushed closer and closer to the sea, someone who had lost his only weapon, and someone who had only a now badly dented shield to protect him against another Servant…

She couldn't see fear in those eyes. Or desperation—or even defeat. Maybe it was something about his face or his eyes or even the set of his mouth, but she had trouble even imagining that he would look defeated.

And yet, he was about to lose.

Wasn't he?

Soon his shield would fall and he would be defeated. He had nowhere to go and she was pushing him closer and closer to the sea, and yet, he looked completely confident. Was it pride that made him look like that—put on some last display of bravado?

Or did he really still think he was going to win?

That simple, quiet confidence made Saber doubt and that angered her.

After he retreated from yet another swing of her sword, she stopped. Even so, he continued his retreat, though he slowed it and simply took small careful steps back.

They were almost on the shore line now. A few more steps and Berserker would be in the water. He had nowhere to run to, but…he didn't have to look of someone who was considering running away.

After putting a bit more distance between then, he stopped, right at the edge of the sea. He lowered his shield, letting her see the smile on his face.

Then he glanced at the shield and grimaced.

"My brother made me this shield, you know." He said, sounding honestly saddened by its loss. "This isn't the first time I've ruined it, either. I guess I'm hard on shields."

And with that, the shield exploded, returning to the prana it was made of. Berserker sighed before looking at his opponent calmly.

"You remind me of someone I knew when I was alive, King Arthur. She never made things easy for me either."

"Are you giving up, Berserker?" Saber demanded.

Berserker smiled.

"Hm…no. I think I'll keep fighting. Things are going so well, after all." He sounded like he honestly believed it. "And as a Hero, I'd be a bit embarrassed if I ran away from a battle with the famous King Arthur."

"And yet that didn't stop you from running when you were disarmed." She said sharply, sick of his confidence.

Berserker sighed, but his smile remained.

"Looking back, I think I've spent a lot of time being embarrassed. And I'm as much a soldier as a warrior—I do whatever I have to do to win. Even my pride as a hero is secondary to my loyalty to my master."

"And where is your master? Is he too cowardly to support his own Servant?"

Berserker suddenly stopped being amused.

"You should stop talking." He said. "Right now."

Saber glared at him, but didn't say anything. She could respect dedication to a Master, at the very least.

After she was silent, Berserker looked over towards Irisviel, who had been marveling at their clash. Before her eyes, they had been nothing blurs. Their fight had left the beach in disarray, throwing up sand everywhere. It looked like a storm had hit the beach.

"Hey," He asked. "What time is it?"

Saber's substitute Master started at his question.

"Um…what?"

"What time is it?" He asked easily. "I'd check my watch but your Servant broke it."

"You mean…your shield?" Saber asked incredulously.

"It was also a watch!" He defended.

"Um…it's, uh, 12:37." Irisviel responded uncertainly.

Berserker looked thoughtful at that.

"Then he's probably asleep." He told Saber easily.

"What?"

"You asked where my Master was. It's late, so he's probably asleep."

Saber looked at him intensely, as if to drag an explanation out of him with her willpower alone.

Berserker's smile widened—it was a familiar look.

"And why is he asleep, instead of with you?" Saber asked.

Berserker shrugged.

"He probably knows I'll win, so there's no need for him to get involved." He said.

Saber's eyes twitched at that.

"And yet, here you are with your back against the sea."

Berserker's smile, if anything, became even brighter at her words.

"Yes, exactly."

Saber just looked at him, uncomprehending and annoyed.

"Shall we end this, Arthur?" Berserker asked. "No offense, but I have other Servants I need to fight and it'd help me a lot if we could move this along."

Saber grit her teeth but before she could reply, they were interrupted.

In an instant, the cold, clear night air was suddenly full of the sound of thunder.


	5. Meeting of Heroes

**Holding Back the Sea**

**Meeting of Heroes**

Saber and Berserker turned as one to face the south-eastern sky.

The source of the sound was obvious.

A flying object cut a line through the sky, scattering lightning in its wake. The sound was obviously created by it and it was just as obviously heading towards them.

Narrowing his eyes, Berserker was the first to identify it. It was something he'd seen a thousand times and rode in himself frequently.

"A chariot." He stated.

However, rather than the horses he was more familiar with, it was pulled across the sky by two bulls. Where they 'stepped' across the sky, a web of lightning emerged and filled the sky with deafening roars. The sheer power behind each strike of lightning was tremendous and they could feel it easily even from this distance.

Only a Servant's Noble Phantasm could emit that much power. Without a doubt, a third Servant was getting involved in the fight.

Both Saber and Berserker tensed and watched the chariot silently.

But Berserker had his own reason to be tense. Creating such an enormous amount of thunder and lightning...as always, he was reminded of Zeus. But gods would not participate in a war between Heroic Spirits. And yet…

The chariot circled above them before slowing and landing between them. It positioned itself perfectly in between the two Servants, preventing them from fighting. As the dazzling light of the chariot faded, it revealed a very tall muscular man at the helm of the chariot.

"Both of you, lay down your arms! The King has arrived!" The man's bellow was like the thunder his chariot created and his glare was as striking as its lightning.

Against Heroes, a yell or two would accomplish nothing. But the man had intervened not to attack, but to end the battle. Neither Berserker nor Saber understood his reasons and they hesitated as a result.

"My name is Alexander, King of Conquerors. I am participating in the Holy Grail War and have received that name of Rider."

Alexander the Great. Even without the knowledge given by the Grail, it was natural that Berserker had heard of him, as another Greek. And if he was Alexander, then…the Oxen where from the Legend of Gordias, whose ox-cart had been bound with the Gordian Knot that he cut.

The boy in the chariot with Rider—his master, in all likelihood—widened his eyes in shock at Rider's declaration.

"W-what the hell are you doing, you moron—oomph!"

The boy was cut of suddenly as Rider flicked him in the head and continued as if he hadn't been interrupted.

"You fight each other to obtain the Holy Grail…but let me ask you something before you continue. I don't know what your wishes are, but…consider for a moment—are your wishes even greater than the desire to possess all of heaven and earth!"

Both of the other Servants were taken aback the strange question.

Narrowing her eyes, Saber spoke.

"You…what are you trying to say?"

"Hm? I was quite clear," Rider said, apparently not finding his question strange at all. "I have descended on the battlefield, so I have to ask…do you have any intention to let me claim the Holy Grail? If you forfeit your claims on it, I shall consider you my friends, and let you share the joy of conquering the world with me. Ask yourselves; do you have desires greater than this!"

Berserker did as he was asked. He looked down at the sand and then back up to Rider.

"_Hell yeah_," He stated flatly, like it should be obvious.

Saber, however, seemed upset.

"Did you interrupt my battle with Berserker for this nonsense?" She demanded. "Your joke was overdone, King of Conquerors. And further…I am the lord of the Kingdom of Britain. No matter what kind of king one is, he can never bow down before another lord."

"Oh?" Rider seemed suddenly interested in Saber. "The King of Britain? How surprising—the famous King of Knights is actually a young girl."

"It kind of surprised me too." Berserker admitted.

"And would you like to test the blade of that young girl, King of Conquerors?" Saber asked.

"A breakdown of negotiations, is it? That's too bad; what a waste." Rider said, not seeming threatened.

"R-Rider!" The King's Master said, finally recovering. "What are you going to do now! You talk about conquest again and again, but…can you really take on two Servants at once!"

"—If you realize that, then get out of the way." Percy interrupted. "Saber and I have a fight to finish…though I would be more than willing to fight you afterwards if that is what your wish, Rider."

Rider looked down at the smaller Servant.

"You seem quite confident, despite having lost both your sword and your shield." Rather than mocking him, Rider smiled approvingly.

"Don't worry about my sword," Percy said. "It gets lost from time to time, but it always finds its way back. And…I haven't gotten serious yet—after all, a battle between Servants is a battle between Noble Phantasms, right?"

In response to his words, Saber suddenly tensed, lifting her blade.

"Ho~," Rider said. "It would be a lie to say I'm not interested, but…do you really want to do that in front of so many people?"

"…What are you talking about, Rider?" Saber demanded.

Rider smiled.

"Saber, Berserker, your battle was excellent. But…the sound of clashing blades could have drawn more than one spirit, don't you think?" Rider asked, before raising his voice. "Come on out! You must be there—hiding in the darkness and spying on us!"

Saber and Berserker didn't even get a chance to be surprised as Rider swept them up in his own plans.

"What a shame! Heroes summoned by the Holy Grail—having seen Saber and Berserker fight, does it invoke no sentiments from you? Having names that deserve praise and yet hiding in the shadows and spying in secrecy? How cowardly! Even Heroic Spirits would be troubled hearing this, right?"

Berserker just looked at his cousin like he was insane while Saber glared.

But Rider didn't seem to feel any fear. Having insulted every Servant in the war in some way or another in the last five minutes, he looked the part of a mighty, challenging king.

"Then come! Spirits called by the Holy Grail, gather here at this moment. Show your faces or crawl away and spare yourselves the humiliation that Alexander, King of Conquerors, would deal you!"

The response was immediate.

"Oi, what are you implying. Rather than being cowardly, isn't it simply polite not to interfere in a fight between two heroes?"

A fourth Servant suddenly materialized. He had yellow eyes and a dark beauty spot at the corner of one of them. His dark hair was roughly slicked back and he was quite handsome—but rather than his appearance, what drew everyone's attention were the two spears he held firmly in his hands. Each spear was of different length but both were wrapped in purple cloth, likely to hide their true appearance to conceal his identity. The only parts visible were their tips—one was crimson and the other yellow.

With just a glance, it was easy to identify him as Lancer.

But they had but a moment to look at him before their attention was dragged away.

Golden light filled the shore, coming from the nearby docks. High above the other Servants, standing on a crane, a Servant in golden armor.

No Assassin would be so blindingly obvious and it was hard to imagine that golden armor on a Caster—by process of elimination, he had to be Archer, the last of the three Knight Classes..

"—The jokes end here, mongrels."

In that way, hostilities began with a gathering of five Servants.

**XxXXxX**

Also by the docks, Kiritsugu was beginning to get worried. He and Maiya had taken position after receiving Irisviel's signal and things didn't look good.

There were five Servants gathered and all of them were problematic.

Berserker, the Servant who had been fighting Saber. By all appearances, she had him on the run, but…if that was so, why had his confidence not wavered? He had also not given anything away about his identity and had only used his sword and shield—if there were any revealing details on either, then they were beyond his sight. If they managed to escape this situation safely, then he would question Saber about anything she might have seen. One thing he had noticed was that his shield had expanded from his watch in a way that was almost certainly magical. However, he was most dangerous because of his master, who was nowhere to be found. For Kiritsugu, prudent, careful magi were more dangerous than ones who gave into their pride, even if they were less powerful or experienced. Because Kiritsugu couldn't affect his master, he also couldn't affect Berserker.

Rider, an interrupter who revealed himself as Alexander the Great. Kiritsugu had thought him a fool for both declaring his name and inviting so many other Servants, but he couldn't deny the power of that chariot. However, he was the cause of this mess and he didn't seem to be at all worried about what happened. More dangerously, his master, while present, was close to his Servant—he couldn't be sure his attack would hit successful with a Servant standing over him protectively and immediately after firing, all the Servants would know his location.

Lancer. Having suddenly revealed himself, no details were known about him, but Kiritsugu could see his master though his heat sensitive scope. However, if he actually fired in this situation, even if his shot was lethal and Lancer faded away, it wouldn't matter, because he'd immediately draw the attention of the others.

Archer, the Tohsaka's Servant; his master was nowhere to be found. In all likelihood, he was still in the Tohsaka manor, far beyond Kiritsugu's reach.

But without a doubt, the Servant that most worried Krirtsugu was the one that was present, but had chosen not to reveal himself. Standing subtly out of the view of the other Servants from the best vantage point in the area—a small warehouse that wasn't as obvious as Archer's chosen spot but provided a similar view—was a black-clad Servant with a white skull mask. Kotomine Kirei's Servant, Assassin, who was supposedly dead. His presence confirmed Kiritsugu's suspicions about the display at the Tohsaka manor being a farce.

Assassins were the weakest of the Servants. In a battle between almost any Servant and an Assassin, it's generally a given that an Assassin would lose, baring extraordinary conditions. But…that didn't usually matter. By their nature, the targets of the Assassin class were not 'Servants,' they were 'Masters.'

If he did anything that drew attention to himself in this situation, Assassin would be the first to notice and would almost recognize him, if not as Saber's master, then as a person that had to be dealt with. And while he did not know for sure how comprehensive Kotomine's intelligence was, but…if he was as dangerous as Kiritsugu thought he was, he had to assume that he knew of his identity as a master—and as a result, that Assassin knew.

And if Assassin attacked him, the only way he would be able to survive was by using a Command Seal to summon Saber to his presence. But while Saber would be brought right too him…Irisviel would be left to stand by the four Servants below.

In this situation, Kiritsugu's hands were tied.

**XxXXxX**

The golden Servant glared down at the assembly.

"Hmph. I didn't think there were two fools in the entire world who were insolent enough to think of themselves as kings in my presence and ignore me."

His arrogance and domineering tone surpassed even Rider's, but it differed from the core. There was neither cruelty nor malevolence in the voice or eyes of the King of Conquerors. Even Rider seemed surprised at the appearance of someone even haughtier then him and stroked his beard in honest bewilderment.

"I'm afraid you are mistaken," He said. "I, Alexander, am well known throughout the world as the King of Conquerors."

Archer made a sound of disgust.

"Fool. I am the only hero in either Heaven or Earth who is a real King. All others are but a collection of mongrels." Archer declared, the words beyond a simple insult.

Immediately, Saber's face began to color, but the tolerant Rider simply sighed, ignoring the words.

"If that is what you believe…do you mind introducing yourself? If you are truly such a king, surely you aren't ashamed of your fame?"

In response to Rider's question, Archer's eyes filled with a burning pride.

"Are you questioning me? A lowly commoner questioning a King like me?" He demanded. Rather than out of a desire to conceal his real name, it was more like he found the mere nature of the question offensive beyond words. "I lowered myself to meet with you and granted you the honor of my presence, yet you can't recognize me? Someone so ignorant does not even deserve to live."

The space around Archer began to distort and the glow of beautiful blades began to emerge from empty space. Each is adorned with ornaments and emits a fiery magical power—it is obvious that they are no mere blades, but Noble Phantasms.

"—If I may interrupt, Your Highness." Berserker interjected pleasantly.

The tension broke at his words and all eyes, which had been focused on Archer and Rider, swerved to him. However, Berserker didn't seem bothered by the attention, and stood confidently on the dry sand—

Something was wrong, Saber thought. Hadn't she pushed Berserker back to the edge of the sea? And yet…now it was so far behind him.

Berserker didn't even look at her, instead focusing interchangeably on Archer and Lancer.

"If I might ask," Berserker continued, seeming to choose his words carefully. "Are you perhaps the hero summoned by Tohsaka Tokiomi?"

"…And why do you ask?" Archer demanded, seeming annoyed by the question.

"The five of us have gathered here today," Berserker began. "And both Rider and Saber have brought with them their masters. Only Assassin and Caster are not in attendance and neither seems like the preferred summon of one of the Three Families. Logically, it could only be you or Lancer and…if I had to guess, I would think it was you."

"—And if it was?"

Berserker bit his lip and smiled.

"Then I am very lucky indeed. For four of my opponents to gather before me like this, including the Servant of Tohsaka Tokiomi, while I'm in such an advantageous position—as a soldier, naturally I will take advantage of my great fortune."

The sea that had receded unnaturally suddenly rose up as a wave, high above the shore. A hundred feet and growing, its mere presence took the other Servants, focused on the arrival of Archer and Lancer, by surprise.

As heartless as nature itself, the wave crashed into the shore.

"—For this, I'll get serious." Percy said himself, a bronze glow enshrouding him as he materialized his armor.

As his declaration of war, Berserker unveiled his iconic Noble Phantasm.

**Perseus – The Deception of Divinity.**

**XxXXxX**

The Noble Phantasm closest to Berserker's legend, Perseus, was not a 'physical object' or even a 'way of attacking.' Rather, it was a 'set of abilities' that defined his legend.

Perseus' effect was simple—it granted Berserker Divine Authority over his father's dominions. But Berserker was an illegitimate child, born against a sworn oath, whose very existence was considered a mistake—he has no rightful claim to that authority.

And yet, the sea obeyed him. Though it was being his father's son that gifted him with his power, it could not be his father's authority that he wielded, for he had no need to call upon his father to wield it and could use it in lands beyond the gods.

Then where did his power come from?

When he became a Heroic Spirit, his legend crystalized into an answer that was never given.

—His authority was a result of Deception. His father broke his oath and deceived the world. His mother hid him away and deceived the world. And so his birth, from which he drew his power, was shrouded in 'Deception.'

And so, his authority, too, was 'Deception.'

The Noble Phantasm Perseus functions by affecting not any single target, but the 'Truth.' Over the Truth that says he has no right, it writes his Divine Authority. It says that he has that power over the dominions of his father, because it is his right—

—Or rather, it says that he is the God of those Dominions.

It is 'The Deception of Divinity,' because it says that he is Divine. Giving him power on par with a Divine Spirit by deceiving the world into thinking he is one.

—And when he touches the water, perhaps even his body is caught up in the lie and thinks itself 'divine.'

**XxXXxX**

A hundred foot tall wave was not enough to defeat a Heroic Spirit. Of course, Berserker knew that, but it accomplished exactly what it was intended to do.

It went without say that in a battle of Heroic Spirits, not matter how good or legendary one was, fighting four other Heroes is dangerous, at best.

But even if a huge wave would not kill Servants, it could still hurt them—which meant it _would_ kill their Master's, if they got hit.

And any Servant's first reaction to a threat on their Master's would be to protect them.

Rider and Saber had master's present in separate locations. He didn't know about Archer and Lancer, but their masters could be present as well. As a result, with this single wave, he broke a group of four into four separate people in different locations, all scrambling in different directions.

As such, instead of having to fight four opponents at once, he could pick who to fight first and battle them alone. Then he'd move on to the next or retreat, as needed.

Deciding one his first target was simple.

Archer, while his primary target as the Servant of Tohsaka Tokiomi, was not his priority. For starters, he was a complete unknown. Second of all, Berserker knew where to find him later, if he needed too—the Tohsaka manor. Even if he wasn't there, Berserker could just go after his master until he used a Command Seal to summon him. If at all possible, he wanted to use this chance to get rid of his Master's enemy, but it wasn't absolutely necessary. His presence here had just made this opportunity that much better.

Rider could fly and he couldn't. While he wasn't particularly afraid of him, that one fact would make fighting him annoying and it would likely take longer than he wanted—probably long enough for the others to regroup.

So it came down to Lancer and Saber.

And he had already faced Saber.

Indeed, as he expected, his attack separated all the other Servants. The moment she saw the wave, Saber dashed for Irisviel. Rider and his master had never left the chariot, so they immediately took to the sky and attempted to outrun it. Lancer dashed away from the wave, back towards the way he'd originally come from. Maybe he was running to his master, or maybe just to safety—it didn't really matter. And Archer, still standing on top of the crane…looked annoyed.

Berserker wondered about that for a moment before putting it out of his mind and focusing on Saber. She'd snatched her master up in her arms and…ran _towards_ the wave.

Berserker didn't understand her actions, but assumed she had a plan of some sort. In which case, it was probably best to assume the worst and act as if it would work.

He ran after her.

Even with a hundred foot wave bearing down on her and her master's life in her hands, she showed no fear. Charging her body with prana, she pointed her blade behind her. As she neared the wave, the prana exploded and she leapt straight upwards, high into the air, her feet almost touching the water—

No, maybe they _did_ touch it?

Suddenly, wind roared. Invisible Air exploded, still pointed behind Saber—and thus, straight at the ground.

Accelerated by both wind and prana, Saber ran vertically up the wave and vaulted over it.

For a moment, Berserker's eyes were wide in astonishment—and then they narrowed as a smirk grew across his face.

"My turn."

Unlike Saber, he didn't avoid the wave in any way—he ran straight into it. Unharmed by the tremendous force of the wave, he slipped neatly through the surface of the water—and then up. Within the wave, he used the water to push himself up at high speed, until he was right beneath Saber's feet as she came down on the other side of the wave, her feet literally walking on the water.

Perhaps by chance but probably because she sensed him, she looked down and their eyes met for a brief moment.

Then he slid past her, a meter higher up the wave, and broke the surface yet again as he drew and uncapped his trusted sword. He hardened the water beneath him so that he could stand upon it as Saber did, but rather than run, he moved the water beneath him to 'slide' down the wave.

Saber was already turning, her revealed blade in one hand and her master in the other.

He caught it easily on his own.

"En garde, Saber." He said. "Or whatever they said in your era."

Fury was burning in her eyes and it only increased at his words.

"If I had use of both my hands, you would regret this briefly and then die." She hissed.

**XxXXxX**

Kiritsugu looked at the oncoming wave in complete shock. Berserker's attack had scattered the enemy Servants, casting chaos on the battlefield.

He was glad to see that Saber was more than capable of protecting Irisviel, but a question arose.

'How had this happened in the first place?'

The answer was obvious.

It had all been a trap. The entire fight had been leading up to this point—Berserker had been planning this from the very beginning. First when he tried to push Saber closer to the water and then when he'd allowed himself to be pushed to it. He probably hadn't planned for Rider to interfere or Lancer and Archer's arrival, but all they'd done was make things better for him. Six of the Seven Servants had gathered here and several of them had brought their masters, as well. Even if his attacks couldn't kill the Servants, a one hundred foot wave could end the lives of quite a few normal humans. Rider, Lancer, and—though Berserker probably didn't know it was him—Saber all had masters here and if they died, they'd almost immediately fade away.

And the three Servants that weren't in danger were Archer, Assassin, and Berserker.

Were they really working together? Was this all a trap they'd put together? It could be—and if it was, it had worked. Kiritsugu could imagine the details; it was actually fairly simple, but also effective.

Have Berserker wait near a favorable location—anywhere by the water. With Fuyuki being near the ocean and having a river run straight through it, that gave Berserker huge swaths of area that he could stay by and never lose the advantage. Logically, someone would sense him eventually, or even just be near the beach. At that point, if Berserker couldn't beat them alone, Archer could interfere. Meanwhile, Assassin could hunt down the Master.

The situation Rider had caused may have thrown off their plans a bit, but it also gave them an opportunity. Archer waited until all the Servants had gathered and then revealed himself, drawing everyone's full attention. He'd then insulted both Saber and Rider, appearing to be ready to fight. Before that became necessary, however, Berserker had unleashed his attack, splitting all the Servants into their own groups.

Berserker pursued Saber, obviously intending to defeat her. Archer didn't seem threatened by the oncoming wave—what he intended to do next was a mystery. And Assassin…

Kiritsugu's eyes widened as he realized something.

He couldn't escape. Even as the wave approached, Assassin was keeping an eye on the situation. If a Master was alone or their Servant's left them to fight Archer or Berserker, Assassin was in a position to see that and respond.

Which meant that none of his plans for getting to safety would work. The moment he moved, Assassin would see him and attack.

The only way he could escape would be by summoning Saber with a Command Seal, which would leave Irisviel behind.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't put Irisviel at risk like that.

But if he died, Saber would fade away, and she'd have no one protect her.

But how could he survive this and still keep her safe?

**XxXXxX**

Atop the water, Saber and Berserker clashed and—it became quickly apparent that Berserker would win. After all, Saber had to fight with one hand, while carrying her master, and on a surface completely controlled by her opponent—

No. It was more than that. Even with better conditions, she might still have been pushed back.

Somehow, this battle was different than the previous one.

Even taking into account how weakened she was by using only one arm, Berserker's blows were much too powerful. Compared to the beach, where she could match him, even if it took both hands, now…

He was stronger and faster than he had been before. And rather than the simple, but well executed, techniques he'd done around his shield, now he was amazingly skilled, performing complicated maneuvers with his sword that kept her constantly off-balance—especially in conjunction with the series of step-like waves he'd summoned on the back of the wave, in an attempt to sweep her underwater. Instead, they just greatly slowed her descent.

They fought on those 'steps,' which naturally favored her opponent. Sometimes they'd part beneath her and she'd trip or have to move to another step, or sometimes they were narrow enough that fighting was difficult. Berserker didn't seem to have any problems, though; the 'steps' would change size, shape, angle, and even location at his whim, which he used completely to his advantage.

Not that he _needed_ any more advantages, at the moment.

Every time she parried, the force of his blows made her arms shake—and it seemed as soon as she'd blocked one blow, another came.

"—It was a trick." Saber said, glaring.

"Hm?" Berserker made a questioning sound, even as his blade lashed out in attacks that seemed, for a moment, random and amateurish—until a moment later when they seemed unspeakably dangerous as they nearly slid through gaps in her defense. He stepped to the side, maneuvering around her, and where there had been empty air, the step they were on grew to accommodate him, and it was all she could do to protect Irisviel. Slowly, methodically, he was using her weaker position against her, clipping away at her defenses, scoring blows on her arms and legs to try to slow down her movements; already, she looked like she'd run through a particularly sadistic thorn bush. She'd avoided taking any serious blows thanks to luck and instinct, but already, she felt her strikes slowing, and she knew that if she couldn't find a place to put down Irisviel soon, Berserker would go in for the kill.

"That entire battle on the beach was just a trick!" She snarled, her pride as both a king and a knight wounded. Turning that anger against her opponent, she lashed out with a quick slash towards her opponent's thigh. "When you let me beat you back to the shore…it was a trap! You could have summoned your blade to you at any time, but you held back to make me confident!"

Berserker blocked the blade effortlessly and held it easily as she tried to force it away.

"I guess that's true." He admitted just as easily. "Don't be insulted, though—it may have been a trap, but even if I'd taken out my sword again, I probably couldn't have done anything more than match you. So, rather than a trap, think of it as me being pushed to this and you'll feel better about yourself. That's the power of positive thinking."

Whereas he had been unmoving as she tried to push him away, he pushed her back easily and stabbed at her chest plate and she had to quickly bring Excalibur back to block it, though the tip of the blade carved a wicked looking groove across her breastplate.

Berserker continued talking like they were sitting at a table drinking tea and not fighting to the death.

"You see, Saber, if you have a glass of water and you drink half of it, would you prefer to think of it as being half _full_ or half _empty_?" He said, even as he tried to sneak a attack past her defense with a series of feints.

"Since you can control water and you're trying to kill us," Irisviel spoke up, glancing nervously downwards. Due to the 'step's constantly slowing their descent, they were still high above the earth. "I'd rather it be half empty, at the moment."

"Touché." Berserker said with a smile before suddenly 'falling' into the wave. A moment later, the entire 'step' exploded with enough force to cast them both away.

In mid-fall, Berserker's voice reached them.

"—If you'd rather there be less water, feel free to land on the ground."

Below them, the water parted, revealing the harder ground beneath. The displaced water created a cylinder around their landing spot—a cylinder that was sure to collapse the moment they actually landed.

Berserker, still inside the wave, speed quickly down its length, faster than even their fall, and Saber knew that more than water would be waiting at the bottom.

**XxXXxX**

Kiritsugu tried to hold on for as long as possible.

His only hope of actually surviving was to summon Saber, but he had to at least wait for her to get Irisviel to safety. Then, he could summon Saber. Hopefully, by doing so, he could protect Irisviel as well—the act of summoning Saber away _should_ reveal that she wasn't Saber's true master.

But…

There was one problem in his plan which he couldn't avoid.

Both Saber and Irisviel were out of sight and he wasn't really in a position to locate the other Servants. He couldn't tell what situation they were in, much less if they were safe.

In other words, if he summoned Saber, the rest of his plan would rely completely on luck. Would the other Servants realize that Irisviel wasn't a Master? Would that keep them from targeting her?

But what other choice did he have? If he didn't summon Saber, he would die and she would fade away, leaving Irisviel just as unprotected.

He _had_ to summon her.

Even if it felt like he was abandoning Irisviel.

**XxXXxX**

Saber had to react quickly, but also carefully. The fall probably wouldn't hurt _her_, but it could probably snap Irisviel's neck.

But then, even if it didn't, being underwater with an opponent who could control water would probably be just as bad.

Turning her blade towards the ground, she unleashed Invisible Air again, even as entered the cylinder. The sudden force shot her back out of it, even as the walls of water slammed closed, as she'd expected.

Flipping over in midair, she landed roughly on the surface of the water.

"Are you okay, Irisviel?"

Her substitute master nodded once, dizzily. While Saber had managed to avoid moving faster enough to kill her, all the sudden changes in direction were obviously taking their toll on her. Enduring the force of two Invisible Airs had probably hurt a great deal as well.

She had to find somewhere to put her safely. Not only for her own safety, but because Saber herself couldn't fight much longer while holding her Master. She'd been burning prana at an accelerated rate to stand even with Berserker on the back of the wave, but if she had to continue doing so, this fight would be over in minutes.

But everything was covered in water. No matter where she put Irisviel, she would be within Berserker's reach.

Saber couldn't protect her while holding her, but if she let go, she'd be in even more danger.

And also—

Where was Berserker?

She bared had time to think of the question before she received her answer.

A bronze blade burst from the water, attempting to stab at her legs. Jumping away quickly, she instinctively tried to attack back—

But her blade bounced off the water as if it were solid.

Immediately, the water beneath her feet began to roll and buckle, trying to throw her off balance, even as more sword strikes emerged from beneath the surface. Waves of water appeared out of nowhere and tried to swallow her up, even as whirlpools began to appear anywhere she stood for more than a moment. She was forced to constantly jump around, able to do nothing but desperately evade.

She needed to find a safe place for Irisviel. If she had use of both her hands, she would still be able to win, but with just one, it was all she could do to stay alive. So far, she had avoided receiving even a single attack, but it was not just because of skill, but also the simple, desperate knowledge that if she was hit even once, she would be dragged beneath the water and have no chance at all. So far, she had managed to hold him off, but she knew a great deal of that was because she'd avoided being submerged—if she let herself fall into her opponents domain…

But there was nowhere safe to put her. There was water everywhere.

—Then, there was no choice.

Saber would have to leave Irisviel in a dangerous position and hope that, by unveiling her true Noble Phantasm, she could keep Berserker from focusing on her.

"Irisviel…" She began.

The Homonculus cut her off with a smile.

"I know."

A moment of indecision before a hardening of her resolve. Saber quickly leapt high into the air and land atop the water that would have been knee deep if she hadn't been able to stride atop it.

"I will protect you, Irisviel." She said, setting her down gently. Oddly, the water seemed strangely calm, as if willing to wait.

A spot several meters from them began to ripple as Berserker rose from it silently, his bronze armor gleaming, but not a drop of water on it.

Invisible Air unraveled one last time. She directed it at Berserker once again, but he simply braced himself silently and endured it without moving. At anything but pointblank range, such an attack would have no effect on him, now that he had revealed his true strength.

"It's time to end this, Saber." He said, suddenly serious. Maybe the other Servants were recovering. The wave was already in the process of flooding the area, but soon it would be over and the other Servants would attack.

Regardless of the reason, Saber nodded. With her blade unveiled, she began to gather power for her final attack, knowing she had to act fast. Even if Berserker recognized Excalibur due to his nature as a Heroic Spirit, he wouldn't know the details of the attack without seeing it, but—

It's a different story if he saw her preparing the attack.

The moment her prana began to gather, it became obvious that her attack would be dangerous. But, by virtue of having a charging time alone, it was unsuited to combat at close range—which was Berserker's preferred range.

The moment saw her gathering power, he began to close the distance between them. Moving impossibly fast, he reached her in the blink of an eye, his sword already coming down.

In response, she brought up her strongest attack.

His blade was aimed at her neck and hers at his heart. Whoever's attack connected first would win.

—But, she would not back down. This battle was something she would stake her life on.

**XxXXxX**

It was time.

He had no choice but to hope that Irisviel was safe.

"Saber!"

**XxXXxX**

Berserker's blade met only air, even as his eyes widened.

In an instant, he was before Irisviel, grabbing her wrists in his hands.

As another Servant, he understood what had happened. Saber had been summoned away by the use of a Command Seal, but if her Master was here—

Irisviel's hands were pale and smooth, unblemished by the markings that signified that one was a Master.

He had been fooled.

He felt her hands trembling in fear at his grasp and let her go.

"What a waste." He said.

There was no point in being angry. It had been a waste of effort, but if Saber had escaped, then there was nothing he could do but move on to the next opponent.

The thought had barely had time to cross his mind before it was done—for he was not the only one now on the hunt. His attack had made him the target of everyone present—no hero would back down from his challenge.

That was why he'd issued it, after all. It meant they wouldn't run away.

Feeling sudden motion through the water, he stepped quickly to the side, turning slightly so that the blade aimed for his heart instead glanced harmlessly off his armor.

—Only, that wasn't what happened. Instead, it passed impossibly through his armor and scraped hard across his chest.

The moment he'd felt contact, water lashed out violently, pushing Lancer roughly away.

Berserker glanced down at his chest plate. It was unharmed; the point of the lance having somehow gone through it without leaving a mark. However, his Curse had still protected him.

Of course, hurting him was nearly impossible in the first place, so that wasn't a surprise.

And yet…by failing to wound him, he'd learnt his secret.

Upon reaching the Throne of Heroes, all Heroic Spirits are given a degree of knowledge of each other. It wasn't enough to recognize each other on sight—it wasn't even enough to know the effects of each other's Noble Phantasms.

But the list of heroes that were immune to damage was fairly short.

But…the list of heroes who wielded spears like that was shorter still.

They'd both given great hints to each other's identities, which meant, of course, that if either of them wished to keep their identities secret, the best way to do so was to kill the other.

Berserker lifted his head to gaze at Lancer, whose eyes were cold and whose face was hard.

In contrast, he smiled.

"This war is certainly full of interesting people," He mused.


	6. Battle's End

**Holding Back the Sea**

**Battle's End**

Lancer was fast, Berserker noted. Faster that Saber and faster than him.

But speed wasn't everything.

If his Master was here, he would have been able to immediately see the status of other Servants as a gift from the Grail. He'd have been able to see the exact abilities of other Servants and compare them to Berserker's own.

But even without Kariya, the differences were easy to see, during a fight.

Lancer may have been faster, but he was only about as strong as Saber, physically, making him weaker than him. He probably had less stamina than either he or Saber, too.

So he would just batter through his defenses until Lancer died, Berserker decided. Simple plans were the best ones, in his opinion.

Still…even he had to admit, Lancer was good. Using two spears at once should have been difficult, especially given their different lengths, but Lancer wielded them both expertly. Using the longer lance, he kept Berserker away, while attacking him with the shorter one whenever he tried to slip through his guard. Against an opponent who he couldn't hurt, he should have been crushed, but…

Somehow, he managed to stay alive.

However, Berserker had an advantage that could not be countered.

They were in the water. Unlike Saber, Lancer wasn't able to walk on water and had to wade through it, slowing down his motioned. Berserker, on the other hand, could move unhindered through the water, as well as onto of it. Further, he could easily hassle Lancer with waves, push him around in the water, and hit him with quick constructs, which he did.

Even if he was blindingly fast and amazingly skilled, as long as he was in the water, Berserker had the complete advantage.

And yet…

"—Insect. Do you really want to die that badly?"

Lancer wasn't his only opponent.

The blades came from nowhere, streaking through the night air. Berserker barely had time to turn in alarm before they connected.

It was like a bomb went off where they hit, throwing up both water and dirt as they connected. Lancer, having been near the effect, had to stumble back quickly in the displaced water, lest he be caught in the blast radius.

And yet, as both water and mud fell down like rain, Berserker was unharmed and climbed back to his feet.

His initial surprise having faded, he looked up at the golden Archer with a smile on his face. The golden Servant hovered above them, standing on some sort of flying Noble Phantasm.

"Problem, Your Majesty?"

Even after seeing his own blade glance of Berserker's flesh, Lancer was surprised to see him standing there unharmed after Archer's explosive attack. Yet, rather than surprise, anger came to Archer, and his face distorted, frozen in an expression of fury.

"Trying to attack me…I won't leave even a trace of you behind, you scum!"

At his words, the air around Archer began to dance. Like ripples, swords emerged with golden majesty, forming a flock of sixteen Noble Phantasms.

—Even Berserker couldn't hide his surprise. As a Heroic Spirit, he could somewhat grasp the truth of a Noble Phantasm once it was reveal, such as recognizing Saber's blade as Excalibur despite having never seen it before. The Throne of Heroes from which their spirits were called was something which existed beyond the bounds of time or space as a record of extraordinary souls and things like that simply didn't matter.

But…could one hero really possess all those Noble Phantasms?

No, not just that. Rather than hide them and use them carefully, Archer cast them out as if they were nothing. Instead of the crystallization of legends, to him they were used like normal weapons, without worry or care.

"Well, trash, if you wish to fight with the King, let's see how long you can keep up!"

At Archer's command, the suspended Noble Phantasms were let loose, rushing towards Berserker. A thunderous roar shook the night air as a flash of light shone through the sky. The blades fell like rain upon the flooded street with looked as though it had received a carpet bombing.

And yet, still Archer attacked. Blades fell like lightning bolts thrown by a god, struck the place Berserker stood with enough force to destroy it completely, and kept striking, again and again. The attack did not stop but instead increased in ferocity—because its target, Berserker, would not fall down.

"—I'm afraid to say I'm not impressed, Your Highness. So far, keeping up doesn't seem very difficult." Berserker lowered the armed he'd instinctively rose to cover his face and trying to ignore the way his arms were literally vibrating under the force of the assault. It didn't hurt, as such—nothing really did anymore—but the power behind that attack…yes, there was no question. If not for his curse, that attack probably would have killed him.

He stamped down fiercely on his own nervousness before it even had a chance to rise up.

If anything, his casual comment enraged Archer even more.

"I'll acknowledge that the one virtue of a cockroach is how hard it is to kill." He said, he voice low but reaching. "I suppose I should try a little bit harder then."

Again, the space around him warped, letting another group of blades materialized.

This time, the count reached thirty-two, silencing even Berserker's bravado. With that many Noble Phantasms, each with their own effects…even he grew serious. He had to be careful here; it was fine as long as none of them connected with his back, but if any of them did…

**XxXXxX**

"Gilgamesh is serious," Kotomine communicated through the jewel, even as he used magecraft to look through Assassin's eyes. "He intends to open the Gate of Babylon even further."

Tokiomi held his head in his hands at his partner's comment. Safely away from the battlefield, he kept track of the situation in the comfort of his own basement—or rather, Kotomine did. Using magecraft to peer through a willing familiar's eyes wasn't difficult, but…well, naturally, Archer would never allow such a thing.

Even so, Kirei was bringing results, with the aid of Assassin. All of the Masters were still under the impression that Assassin was dead, allowing him to sneak around the city completely undetected with none of the Master's being suspicious in the slightest. Everything was going perfectly—

Except one thing.

Something that had occurred that was beyond his preparations—that Gilgamesh, strongest of the Heroic Spirits, would be summoned as an Archer class Servant.

It wouldn't be untrue to say that the defining characteristic of the Archer class was the strength of their Noble Phantasms. For Gilgamesh who owned an unbelievable powerful one with a rank of EX and a literal horde of other Noble Phantasms of each and every kind, perhaps it should have been obvious from the beginning.

But the class skill of the Archer was 'Independent Action,' which meant that they did not have to rely on their Masters. Gilgamesh's rank, in particular, was very high; enough even, that if he were to die right now, Gilgamesh might be able to remain in this world for the remainder of the war, all on his own.

It was impressive, to be sure, but also amazingly bad luck. Tokiomi respected the mighty King of Heroes as much as he could and as much as he felt was deserved, but…to think his patience would be tried so much, so early. If there was a flaw to Gilgamesh's power, it was definitely the recklessness of the man who wielded it. His power was such that Tokiomi should have felt no worries, even if he had to face every other Servant, and yet his pride was even greater. Tokiomi was sure that, if Gilgamesh wielded his power competently, he could surely end this war without any difficulty, but also knew that Gilgamesh would never listen to him on his own.

Careless rather then careful, the only way to give him orders were to rely on his Command Seals. With them, he could make a Servant out of even Gilgamesh, but…

To use one this early in the War?

But if he let Gilgamesh act rashly, it could end horribly. He wanted to rely and believe his Servant's power, but if he acted carelessly, then even he could fall. Such as by unveiling the full extent of his power in his first real battle, for no reason, in front of the majority of enemy Servants and Masters. Tokiomi was a bit relieved he at least hadn't said his name, but even then, Kotomine had reported that it was only because he took offense at the question.

At this point in the war, it was important to act with forethought. The Einsbern's Servant, Saber, had revealed herself as King Arthur, the King of Knights. The Rider class Servant had made no effort to hide his identity and had proudly declared himself Alexander the Great, King of Conquerors.

Already, he knew the identity of two of his most dangerous enemies, but…

Servant Berserker had proven himself dangerous as well and his identity was unknown. He'd fought evenly with Saber and Lancer and now stood up to Archer's onslaught without faltering. He was dangerous…but also reckless. Prior to his attack, none of the Servants had any particular enemy in mind, but he'd made himself the opponent of all of them—including him. Tokiomi was pleased with that result, sure that once this battle was over, the other Masters would plot and plan to deal with Berserker, considering him their biggest threat. Whether it was because of his master or his own recklessness, Berserker had made a crucial misstep in that regard.

However, Berserker was not an opponent he wished for Gilgamesh to face. His Servant was, if anything, even more reckless than Berserker. If he released the full extent of his power upon Berserker, it would become obvious that he was the most dangerous Servant in the war. And while the Gate of Babylon insured that if his enemy had a weakness, Archer had the means to exploit it, without knowing how to counter Berserker and his seeming invincibility, it was quite possible that the battle would waste a great deal of prana as Gilgamesh figured out how to do so—a risk he was unwilling to take with Rider, Saber, and Lancer in that area and probably ready to attack whoever was weakened after the battle.

Berserker's life wasn't worth sacrificing Gilgamesh.

Especially since it was unneeded. The Matou's had already submitted the identity of their chosen Master; Tokiomi's 'old friend' Matou Kariya. Rather than risk Gilgamesh in a precarious situation, he could take the safer route. This was, after all, the purpose that Assassin was summoned for.

**XxXXxX**

The red eyes that stared at Berserker with burning fury slowly turned towards the south-east. Though it was far beyond his sight, he was looking towards the Tohsaka Mansion.

"Do you think words from someone like you could appease a king's anger? You assume too much, Tohsaka Tokiomi." He spat under his breath.

The Noble Phantasms that had gathered around him disappeared at once.

"Thank whatever pathetic gods you believe in, insect," Archer snarled, eyes returning to Berserker. "You've espaced death by a hair."

His voice remained full of resentment, but there was no longer hatred in it.

"Before you rats gather again, be warned—I will tolerate nothing less than a true hero."

With that, he cancelled his materialization, his machine disappearing beneath him.

Berserker looked at the spot Archer had floated moments before as small glimmers of golden light faded away.

Then he shrugged and looked at Lancer.

"Well that was weird. Now, where were we?" He asked, raising his blade again—

Only to have to suddenly shift it to block an invisible blade.

Two pairs of green eyes met, one glimmering with surprise, the other with a furious anger.

"Ah," Berserker said, his surprise fading. "You came back."

Saber bore down on his blade with all her might, a nearly feral growl coming from her throat.

"What have you done with Irisviel!?" She demanded.

Before she'd spoken, Percy had wondered why she hadn't resumed her unfinished attack, but understanding dawned as he heard her words. She wasn't willing to use her attack without knowing where Irisviel was, which told him several things.

First of all, that she valued Irisviel greatly. Originally, he'd thought that had been because the silver-haired girl was her Master, but he now knew that was untrue and her worth as a decoy had vanished, so he was left assuming they were friends instead.

Second of all, if she held back from using that attack without knowing where her friend was, then the attack was probably very powerful, or at least had a wide range. Otherwise, it would have made more sense to simple try to kill him, and then find Irisviel afterwards. She could have been overcome with emotion, but…no, that didn't seem like the type of person Saber was.

Or perhaps he was just thinking too much of another blond-haired girl, and not really understanding Saber at all…

But he doubted it. He really did think they were alike in a lot of ways. If Saber thought that she had a way to defeat him, she wouldn't discard it unless there was some other factor. Even if she was a Knight, she struck him as the type of person who would do what was necessary to protect people she cared about.

The logical thing to do would be to keep Irisviel captive. He didn't know what her attack was; for all he knew, it truly was something that could hurt him—after everything he'd seen, he wasn't sure he'd label anything as 'impossible' anymore. There was probably something out there that could kill him, or at least ruin his day. After fighting someone who'd thrown nearly fifty Noble Phantasms at him, it was probably a good idea to act cautiously.

But…unfortunately, he wasn't always logical. Even if it was safer, he couldn't hold an innocent woman hostage. If he did that, he'd have to turn in his hero license.

With his free hand, he gestured with two fingers. Away from the sight Archer had demolished, the water began to bubble lightly, before Irisviel broke the surface. When Lancer had first attacked, he'd dragged the woman underwater and hardened it around her like a shield. He'd diffused the oxygen in the water so she'd have something to breathe, but in a battle between Servants breaking out, he hadn't had a choice in being gentle.

Though frankly, when Archer had showed up, he'd felt pretty smart about it, too.

Still, hero or not, he couldn't help but notice how Irisviel's clothes had gotten wet. Sometimes he forget that happened—mainly because it was something that only happened to other people.

"Irisviel!" Saber said, rushing to her side.

For a moment, he stared, before forcing himself to prudently look away, even as Saber rushed to her friend's side. He caught Lancer's eyes as he did so, noticing he was doing the same.

"I just realized its cold out here." Berserker admitted.

Lancer choked, making Berserker frown at him.

"Because she's shivering, _dumbass_." He said reproachfully. "You should probably get out of the water, Irisviel."

"And whose fault is it that she's wet in the first place!?" Saber demanded.

Prudent or not, Berserker suddenly look her way again, because she sounded about ready to attack him.

"Whoever decided to put an uninvolved woman on the battlefield, maybe?" He said, making no effort to hide who he thought _that_ was. "She's wet because I had the water shield her. If I hadn't, then Archer's attack would have killed her."

Granted, mainly because he was after Berserker. And she was only unprotected because Saber had been summoned away…while they were in the middle of trying to kill each other.

But she was still an uninvolved woman who'd been put on a battlefield full of resurrected superhumans, and that part _wasn't_ his fault.

"Regardless," He said, shaking away such thoughts. "She can go; I won't lift my blade against an innocent woman."

The area around Irisviel cleared of water, drying even her clothes. A path of dry land formed through the water, leading towards safer territory.

Saber looked at Berserker suspiciously, but slowly walked towards Irisviel.

A wall of water rose in way, and would have collapsed on top of her, had she not jumped quickly back.

"She can go," Berserker said, his tone changing. "But you stay. You shouldn't have come back. I'll escort her safely to the Church, after you're dead."

In respond to his words, both Saber and Lancer lifted their weapons.

"Very well; then I shall end you here and now, Berserker." Saber resolved, narrowing her eyes.

"Please stop your jokes, Berserker." Lancer said. "Even if you and Saber have a prior engagement, we ourselves have a battle to complete."

"—What are you doing, Lancer?" A voice said, coming from nowhere. It could only be Lancer's Master. "This is a good chance to take out Saber. Lancer, assist Berserker."

For a moment, everyone was silent. The triangle formed by the three Servants was still and silent.

Saber was simply tense and prepared. An order from a Master to a Servant was something that would naturally be obeyed.

Which meant, of course, that she was in trouble. For Saber, who could not best Berserker in one on one combat, she still had her trump card, Excalibur. The strongest of all Holy Swords, she had absolute faith in its ability to grant her victory.

But even her sword had its weaknesses. If she was to fight an opponent at close range, Excalibur wasn't feasible. Furthermore, simply using it could be considered a weakness of the weapon, due to how much energy it took to use.

However, there was a much more important reason she couldn't use her Noble Phantasm.

She had two opponents, which meant if she missed, she'd be exhausted and would die. If she wanted to win, she'd have to kill both of them at once, which would have been easy at a distance, but at this range…

If one of them realized that she was about to do something, then they could easily move behind her and avoid the blast completely. And since the unveiling of her greatest weapon always involved her sword glowing like the _sun_, it was unfortunately pretty hard to hide that she was up to something.

Berserker was silent. It wasn't a strategy he was unfamiliar with; the whole 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' thing. He couldn't even say he was against it, really—for what it was intended to do, it was a very useful tactic. If he _and_ Lancer attacked Saber at the same time, then his victory over the female Servant was almost assured.

It's not even as though it really meant anything would be different between he and Lancer afterwards, either; it was a tactic for improving one's odds of success. Nothing more, nothing less. If Saber was alive and that was enough to make he and Lancer 'friends,' then he was okay with that result—because as soon as Saber was dead…well, the entire concept of 'the enemy of my enemy' required a common, living enemy.

Without one, they would go right back to being enemies.

It didn't mean anything…but even so, it felt wrong to team up against Saber.

Even if this was a war to the death with everything on the line…the participants were still Heroic Spirits. Whether it was the arrogant Archer or the loud Alexander or the honorable, proud King of Knights…this was his chance to fight against heroes throughout history, impossibly brought together by the Holy Grail through time and space, and test himself against them. No, not just test himself; rather than fight, this was a chance to speak with the heroes that came before him and shaped the course of human history.

He'd already met Alexander the Great and King Arthur. Who else would he have a chance to meet before this war was over?

To gang up against such great heroes and kill them in such away, setting aside his pride and honor as a hero…it didn't feel right.

A single glance confirmed that Lancer felt the exact same way.

And yet—

If by doing so, he could save Kariya and Sakura, than Berserker was enough of a man to swallow his honor and pride. That, too, was a part of being a hero.

It wouldn't make his actions feel right…but he didn't have to feel right to do what needed to be done. If all he had to do to save two innocent lives is tarnish his reputation and wound his pride, then that was a small price to pay, wasn't it?

"My lord…" Lancer said quietly.

"Lancer, did you not swear to fight for me in this War? To win me the Holy Grail?"

Lancer glanced down before lifting his eyes.

They were resolved. But there was a measure of shame in them as well.

"I did." He said quietly.

Berserker understood him well, as another who fought not for his own wish, but for the sake of another. Lancer, too, was a legendary hero. If they had been in a position where they could compose themselves as proper heroes, perhaps things would be different.

But there is more to a man than pride.

Without another word, Berserker and Lancer attacked. Moving in silent accord, Lancer leapt forward—and when his feet touched the water, he did not sink, but was held aloft by Berserker's will. Berserker, for his part, commanded the water that yet surrounded them to aid Lancer and hinder Saber, even as he moved in to assist, a giant hand rising out of the water, it's actions mirroring his left hand as he reached out to grab Saber.

Working together, their victory was assured—and that was all that mattered.

And yet, before they were even in position, the battle was interrupted once more.

Lightning struck the battle field in a dizzying flash that could turn light into day and with it came a booming sound louder than simple thunder.

"Aaalalalalalalaie!"

No—the lightning hadn't simply descended from the sky; it trailed across the water like solid ground, sending agonizing currents of electricity through the water.

Or rather…that thing that looked like lightning was actually a king's chariot, _enshrouded_ with lightning.

Lancer quickly flipped back, eyes widening. Even Berserker's redirection of the electricity through the water wouldn't be able to completely protect him, so he quickly retreated into the dry path around Irisviel. Seeing this, Saber was in front of her friend almost immediately, and the two Knight class Servant's matched glares.

But there was one Servant who would never back down on the water—not even from the power of thunder. He had fought the children of Zeus before and—as illogical as it may sound—he was safest from lightning on the water. And also—he hadn't backed down for the Minotaur and he wouldn't back down before a pair of bulls.

But even if he wouldn't back down, the fact remains…in a battle of speed and maneuverability, a 'Rider' with their own mount or form of locomotion would naturally be faster than any class that had to rely on their own two feet.

When caught by surprise, even Berserker couldn't get out of the way in time, so he turned his giant hand construct on the chariot reaching out in a stopping motion instead.

The chariot tore through it without even slowing down and he barely had time to widen his eyes before they hit him as well.

The two divine bulls kicked him down with their four front hooves and then trampled him mercilessly with their four hind hooves. Enveloped in rolling lightning as they were, even a single hit would have been a dangerous blow. After being trampled eight times, it wouldn't be surprising if even a Servant were to die.

And then Berserker was run over by the wheels of the chariot itself, each of which was larger than the average truck and also coated with lightning.

In the wake of the Alexander's chariot, Berserker laid face up atop the water for a second, before suddenly falling through the surface.

"—Even I must respect your backbone, Berserker, for daring to attack four Servants alone. But considering the circumstances, I must ask that you remove yourself." Rider said, smiling at the spot where Berserker had sunk away.

"Master of Lancer…though I do not know who you are or from where you're overlooking this battle, you have disgraced a battle between heroes. Have Lancer retreat—if you insist on humiliating him any further, then I will join Saber and the two of us will defeat your Servant."

There was a moment of silence before the response came.

"…Retreat, Lancer. That is enough for tonight. Farewell, King of Conquerors…and you as well, Waver Velvet."

Rider's master widened his eyes, understanding.

"You…"

Lancer had already lowered his spears and nodded respectfully at Rider.

"Many thanks, King of Conquerors."

"—Ah. And from me, as well."

The voice surprised everyone, but none more so than Rider.

Berserker stood once more upon the surface of the water, one hand to his head. Now that he thought of it, those river spirits _had_ said something about electrocuting him, hadn't they?

"Ah, this headache…now that I think of it, you, too, are a son of Zeus, are you not…Alexander?" Berserker asked, signs of pain already fading. And yet, his eyes now watched Rider wearily.

"And if I am?" Rider asked, his surprise having already faded. Rather than weary, the King seemed…excited, as if he had found something interesting.

"It has been quite some time since I last fought a child of Zeus," Berserker said. "It will be a pleasure to fight you, cousin. But…not today. Archer has left and Lancer has been called away, and both you and Saber have master to call you away."

He paused, before shaking his head.

"No, rather than that, even I am beginning to worry about my chances. Against two Kings…I will stop attempting to save face and retreat for now. But before I go…I have to at least have the last word."

Berserker lifted a hand to his neck, where a small silver tube was suddenly present. He blew it, but it made no sound, instead simply shattering into ice. Shadows pooled around him impossibly, somehow staying on the surface of the water, before rising into the enormous form of a giant black dog. It was larger than a tank with red eyes, and the moment it laid eyes on the other Servants, it snarled.

"Your bulls are impressive, King of Conquerors." Berserker said. "But I would say my hound is better, because for all the power of your bulls…they cannot hunt down spirits. I'll find you later."

The dog barked once, slightly louder than an artillery gun, and then it and its master faded away, sinking back into the shadows.


	7. Battle's Aftermath

**Holding Back the Sea**

**Battle's Aftermath**

"As a fellow king, I won't take advantage of your weakness as others would. Let us part ways here, for now, King of Knights."

With those parting words, Rider had left on his chariot, leaving Saber behind.

At his parting, Irisviel released the breath she had been holding.

It went without saying that the site of the battle was a complete ruin. Surprisingly, the thing Irisviel had been most worried about—the wave—h ad been surprisingly contained. The water hadn't gone far past the beach and a lot of it had receded quickly back into the sea. But that simply limited the size of the area that had been destroyed—it did little to address the fact that massive destruction had still occurred within that area.

Even so, perhaps it was to be expected. A gathering of five Servant, where each had released at least one Noble Phantasm…perhaps they were lucky that things had been so contained.

If that wave hadn't been held back…

Or worse, if Saber had actually been forced to use Excalibur…

For this to be the first battle…had there ever been a War like this before?

"Irisviel…I must apologize to you." Saber finally spoke up, looking honestly ashamed of herself.

"Ah?" Irisviel asked, momentarily surprised at the apology, before understanding.

She was talking about when she had vanished…been summoned away by Kiritsugu.

…It would be a lie to say that her disappearance hadn't hurt her…for a moment, she had honestly thought she had been…

"…What happened?" She asked quietly.

"Kiritsugu had been nearby, watching the attack. The wave was about to hit and…Assassin was nearby." Saber explained. "I had to fight off Assassin and save him from the wave."

Suddenly, fear was replaced with worry and it was Irisviel's turn to feel ashamed of herself.

"Is he okay?" She asked.

"Yes," Saber said. "And if nothing else, Assassin is dead."

"Ah." Irisviel sighed in relief, the good news brightening her spirits. "That's good, then. And also…don't apologize, Saber. I am alive because of you."

Saber shook her head, dismissing her words.

"As a Knight, I fight on the frontline for the purpose of protecting those behind my back." Saber said, before picking Irisviel up in her arms. "We should leave; tonight was only the beginning."

Her false Master nodded.

"Heroes from all eras," Irisviel speculated. "None of them can be easily defeated."

Alexander the Great…the only person she could think of that had conquered more of the world was Genghis Khan. Having seen the power of his chariot, she felt that it could destroy an entire city in mere hours. He'd shown himself to be fearless and, in his own way, noble, and she could understand why his armies had followed him by simply being in his presence.

She didn't know Archer's identity, but she knew, at least, to consider him someone extremely dangerous. In the face of his power, she would have simply died just by being nearby if Berserker hadn't protected her. After seeing his Noble Phantasms, she felt as if she were even further away from knowing who he was then when he had first appeared. When he'd arrived in response to Rider's call, she'd kept an open mind, knowing that he could be any hero but…after seeing his power…was there really any one hero who was like that?

Lancer; the Servant had been subtly dangerous, in his own way, even if he wasn't as overtly frightening as Berserker and Archer. But perhaps he was dangerous because he was subtle? Next to the nearly inhuman Archer, Rider, and Berserker, she couldn't consider him dangerous, even though she knew she should. Yet she knew that he, too, was a legendary hero, or else he would not have been summoned by the Holy Grail. Of all the Servants that had fought today, she still knew the least about Lancer.

And then, of course, there was Berserker. She wasn't sure what to think about him. He was dangerous, though; she knew that for sure. He'd conjured a Tsunami out of nowhere and kept it from spreading, and had fought Saber evenly all the while. She had thought him foolhardy for starting a fight with four Servants, yet…Saber hadn't been able to beat him, even in a sword fight. Lancer's surprise attack had failed against him, as well, and Archer's monstrous bombardment had failed to even scratch him. The only one that had seemed to even hurt him was Rider, who had run him over with an attack that would have surely killed any other Servant in the same situation, but he'd seemed only annoyed.

She didn't even know his identity for sure, and that was, perhaps, what bothered her most. Throughout the entire battle, he hadn't once revealed it outright, even as he freely used his Noble Phantasms in a way that could almost be described as careless. With Mad Enhancement inactive, even his class could be considered a lie. The moment his modern watch had unfolded into a shield, she'd suspected magic, which had been supported by his control of water, so she'd first thought of Caster. Yet he'd fought evenly with Saber and Lancer, more akin to a Knight class. He seemed immune to harm, and had claimed to have fought with children of Zeus before. He had even summoned that monstrous black dog like a Rider.

It was probably safe to assume him to be Greek, but that opened up a number of possibilities that were…frightening. In the modern era, when people thought of legendary heroes, their minds went naturally to the Heroes of Greece.

There was a reason for that.

But there was one possibility that especially scared her, for it made the most sense. It would explain his control of the sea and incredible fighting prowess, as well as why he was a 'Berserker' class Servant.

A man who possessed a bronze shield carved with images and had no need for armor. The son of the Sea Goddess Thetis; the great-grandson of the King of Olympus, Zeus, through his father, and the Titans Oceanus and Tethys, through his mother—the invulnerable warrior that had earned his fame in the legendary Trojan War. A child that a Titan had prophesized would surpass his father, ending the competition of Zeus and Poseidon for his mother's hand and a student of the great Centaur, Chiron.

The ancient Greek hero that went down in legend, Achilles.

She still remembered two lines that she had read so long ago.

_Sing, Goddess, of the rage, of Peleus' son Achilles  
>the accursed rage, which brought pain to thousands of the Achaeans.<em>

**XxXXxX**

His shared perceptions had ceased the moment Assassin had 'died,' but his thoughts still raced. His father, Kotomin Risei, had already left, making arrangements for cleaning up the damaged area by the beach.

But he concerned himself only with the battle.

Even if it meant sacrificing another Assassin, it had been more than worth it. Before being killed, he'd reported a great deal of information, as well as allowing them to hold back Gilgamesh in time.

The Clock Tower's elite magus, El-Melloi, had been robbed of his original artifact, which he'd intended to use to summon Alexander the Great. And yet, Alexander had appeared anyway, revealing himself as Rider.

But even so…the master of Lancer was most certainly El-Melloi. Apparently, whoever had robbed him had chosen to compete in the Holy Grail War himself—or, at least, had sold the artifact to someone who would.

Then, Saber, the Servant of Einsbern's, had revealed her true identity in the battle; Arthur Pendragon, King of Knights. Undoubtedly a powerful choice. She had shown a great deal in the battle, however, unveiling the truth of one of her Noble Phantasms. As a Master, Kotomine was able to understand it after witnessing its unveiling; it was the same technique that made her blade invisible and was a type of wind spell. It was only C rank, but she'd shown herself proficient with using it wisely, and Kirei knew that a deadly weapon did not always need to be powerful.

Lancer hadn't shown much, but his master had revealed some important points about his personality. He was smart, or cowardly, enough to at least stay off the battlefield and willing to use tactics that many would consider dishonorable if it meant victory. Kirei knew how dangerous someone like that could be; one did not need to be a brave fighter to kill someone—owning a gun and shooting someone in the back of the head worked just as well, if not better. He wondered if that personality clashed with his Servant's; Kirei was lucky enough to have Assassin, who not only understood such tactics, but applauded them.

But the most interesting by far was that Berserker.

The other Servants and Masters probably hadn't seen it; it had been dark and a fight had broken out. Truthfully, if he had been there in person, he probably wouldn't have noticed it, either.

But he hadn't been there in person. He'd been watching through the eyes of Assassin, a Servant of the class that specialized, among other things, in information gathering, as well as operating at night. There had been a small tattoo on his arm that read 'SPQR.'

As a member of the Church, he'd spent a great deal of time in both Italy and Rome itself. After all, the Vatican City was located inside of it and so were a number of the Church's organizations. As such, he recognized it instantly.

Senatus Populusque Romanus. The literal translation was 'The Senate and the Roman People,' or alternatively as 'The Senate and the People of Rome.'

Naturally, the mere presence of the tattoo would imply that he was a hero from the Roman Empire.

But Kotomine couldn't think of any one that quite matched his description. His fighting style, once Kirei knew what to look for, did indeed have a great deal of Roman influence to it, but it couldn't be called 'Roman.' There was a great deal of Ancient Greek influence in it as well, and he seemed to seamlessly shift between the states of 'Warrior' and 'Soldier' as needed, making him hard to place. His armor was the same way, bearing Greek touches, as well as things that hadn't been invented until a much later date—not simply into the Roman Empire, but probably long past it's fall. It held traces of armor crafting that hadn't been invented into the middle ages, at least, and maybe into the modern era. It covered most of his body, rather than leaving the opening traditional to Greek and Roman armors.

But then, Gilgamesh had a flying machine that predated the plane by about four thousand years, so maybe he shouldn't be so surprised on that front.

But things simply didn't add up—he couldn't be Greek _and_ Roman.

Unless he was Aeneas, son of Aphrodite? But no, even he had been a Trojan and had predated the birth of Rome by a great deal. And while the Noble Phantasms of Servants could certainly manifest in strange ways, the ones wielded by Berserker just didn't seem to fit properly with Aeneas. His seeming invulnerability pointed instead to Achilles or, less likely, Siegfried, but it made no sense for either to bare such a marking. Unless there were some deeply important facts that history had left out—which, going by Archer, Saber, and Rider, was entirely possible.

Then…perhaps, rather than having been both Greek and Roman, he was a hero that had been changed by his legend? Tokiomi held records of the previous wars; in the Third War, the Edelfelt sisters, bearing the magical attribute of 'Twins,' had summoned two faces of the same Servant by literally summoning two Sabers.

Then, perhaps it was caused by a Sorcery Trait? Or perhaps even the Origin of the summoner?

Rome had taken both Gods and Heroes and adapted them; Heracles and Hercules, for example. Perhaps rather than summoning a normal Servant, an amalgam of a Servant acknowledge by both the Greeks and Romans?

It was an interesting thought, but he would leave it to Tokiomi. All he wished to do was figure out who his opponent was; his theory was probably wrong, but that wasn't important. As long as he had, at least, a possible explanation, he would work under the assumption that the hero wasn't actually Greek _and_ Roman, which widened the possibilities from zero to a much broader category.

Kirei nearly sighed.

What a troublesome opponent.

When the Matou's had first summoned their Servant, Zouken had reported it to his father. At the time, neither he nor Tokiomi had paid any attention to the summoning of the Heroic Spirit of Fury; the Matou family had long been on the decline. Their number of Magic Circuits had steadily decreased and had almost died out before the Tohsaka family had given them their youngest daughter, Sakura. When Matou Kariya had been elected, it had seemed like an act of desperation; the Matou may have had Circuits, but he had no training. He was deemed to have been accepted only because each of the three families had a 'slot' in each war.

But was that the Servant of an amateur? He could have gotten lucky, but could luck summon a Servant that could match Saber and Lancer _and_ withstand Archer's assault, all at the same time?

Perhaps there was more to Matou Kariya then meets the eye.

**XxXXxX**

The shadows writhed and shifted as the massive dog pulled her way from them.

Berserker's hound, Mrs. O'Leary, was a hellhound—a species of Magical Beast. Most of her kin belonged to the lowest rank of such creatures, 'Monstrous Beasts,' and due to the fact that they were exceptionally violent, they were generally short-lived as a result. But she was an exception; she'd been tamed long, long ago by Daedalus and had lived long enough to become a Phantasmal Beast; one of the few to stand between their Monstrous lesser cousins and the Divine Beast, Cerberus.

However, rather than a Phantasmal Beast, perhaps now, she was something else. She'd been given to Berserker to look after, becoming a creature closely associated with his legend—yet she, too, was legendary.

Like her master, her legend after her death had been full of exaggerations and speculations both from those who respected Berserker and those who hated him—a natural result of unknown details in myths. She was known as a monster tamed by the heroes own hand, a gift from the God of the Dead, a ferocious beast kept in check only by her master, as a gentle creature who was famed in battle, and even an omen of death whose eyes and howl could kill her enemies master, or whose appearance meant that fate had decreed their death at her master's hand. There were hundreds of legends of 'Hellhounds' and 'Black Dogs;' the legends had drawn and discarded from them all so liberally that where the beast stopped and the concept began was impossible to distinguish. Perhaps even the 'truth' had been changed by those myths, until the lie itself had become the truth—like her master, perhaps she too was a 'Deception'?

More than a Phantasmal Beast now, yet her legend was dependent on Berserker's, as he was always at the center of hers. Much like the summoned mount of a Rider, she was an independent being—and yet she wasn't. In the record within the Throne of Heroes, she was definitely beside Berserker's own, like the mounts of all Servants—no, not just next to it; she was definitely within the same 'record' as her master. Perhaps that meant she was a living 'crystalized mystery,' like a Noble Phantasm, or perhaps she too was a type of 'Heroic Spirit.'

Even Berserker did not know the specifics of how summoned creatures like Mrs. O'Leary or Rider's bulls worked and to him, they did not matter. He and his hound were a legend that persisted together, even past death—the details were no important as long as that fact was true.

Besides, having a friend that can shadow travel is always useful.

Berserker walked into the house, not worried in the slightest about Mrs. O'Leary; she wouldn't be seen if she didn't want too. Sure enough, a moment later she was gone, but for a strangely large shadow that followed him along the ground like a giant billboard of darkness.

"This'll be our home for a while," He said.

A strange sound came from the shadow, causing Berserker to smile sadly.

"Yeah. Not quite home," He agreed. "You want to go hunting or do you want me to get you something to eat—hold that thought."

The phone was ringing.

He immediately assumed the worst and picked it up before he heard the second ring—even though it was on the other side of the house.

"Kariya?" He asked. "Is something wrong?"

He wanted to say more, but he suppressed the urge to do so. His mind was already racing with possibilities, as it always did when something went wrong, and he wanted to know exactly what, if anything, was happening, but his question covered everything. And worrying wouldn't help—even if he couldn't help but remember that nobody _ever_ seemed to call to tell him anything _good_.

"Jack-san?" Sakura's voice surprised him, sounding high pitched. He was well acquainted with the tone of a scared little girl.

"Sakura? Where's Kariya?"

"Jack-san, you have to help!" Sakura said, his question snapping her back to the situation at hand. "It's Uncle—he's covered in blood!"

Yeah. No one _ever_ called to tell him anything good.


	8. Repercussions

**Holding Back the Sea**

**Repercussions**

A stunned moment after hearing Sakura's words, Berserker had demanded to know where they were. Sakura gave up their location immediately and then he and Mrs. O'Leary shadow traveled there immediately.

On the bright side, they were out of the city, like he'd hoped. They were in a hotel about forty miles outside of Fuyuki, and only because they'd stopped for the night. After this, he wanted them to put another fifty miles between them and the battlefield, at least. Maybe take a plane over to China, or something—Kariya had said that the Matou family had money and that he could access it easily. Okay, maybe not a _plane_, but if they were willing to travel on Mrs. O'Leary…she could take them anywhere. If they needed, they could start a new life somewhere far away—he could give them some advice about how to make it in New York, if they were willing. A week from now, they'd be so far away from Fuyuki that none of the other Masters would ever find them in time.

On the down side, that should have protected them, but it _hadn't_.

And he couldn't understand why. It couldn't have been an enemy Servant—only Caster and Assassin were unaccounted for and, though he admired Kariya, if either of them had shown up, he'd be dead by now.

But then who, or what, had hurt him?

Knowing the only way to find out would be to ask and examine the area, Berserker rushed up the stairs and found the room number Sakura had given him. He was so upset that when he found the door was locked, he honestly considered breaking it down before remembering that he could dematerialize as a Servant and passed neatly through, his hound's shadow following him all the while.

If he had been a bit less distraught, he would have materialized away from Sakura and attracted her attention, but he didn't know if he had any time to waste and did so right in front of her instead, startling the young girl and making himself feel guilty in the process—but he clamped tightly down on the feeling, as he'd been trained to do, and went straight to business.

"Sakura, where's Kariya?" He demanded.

Like any child would be, Sakura was frozen at the sight of a grown man clad in full body armor appearing suddenly in front of him, especially when she realized who it was—namely, a person that she'd talked to on the phone moments before, while he was over forty miles away.

"Sakura!" He nearly yelled.

Startling the girl into motion, she grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him into the hotel room's small bedroom.

Kariya was on the bed and the sheets were stained with blood. In fact, so were his clothes and skin.

He was at his master's side in an instant. He couldn't claim to be a doctor, but he'd seen thousands of battlefield injuries and he knew how to give, at least, some basic treatment. Granted, those were usually other demigods who he could just give ambrosia and nectar to and quicken their healing and he didn't have any on him at the moment—and it would kill Kariya even if he did—but even so, he looked Kariya over quickly.

There weren't any visible wounds or signs that he'd been attacked—it was like Kariya had bleed straight through his skin. Berserker quickly decided that it could only be the worms inside him, unless he'd gotten cursed or something. But why were they hurting him this much? Kariya had said that he'd lasted a year, but if it could do this much damage to him in a day, Berserker couldn't imagine that being possible.

"When did this start?" He asked Sakura. The young girl's eyes darted quickly to him, to Kariya, and then back.

"About ten minutes ago, maybe?" She blurted after a moment of panicked thought.

About ten minutes ago—

Realization and reaction were almost simultaneous. He abandoned his material form, flew through the ceiling, and raced quickly for the nearest body of water his senses could find. Fortunately, Kariya had stayed near the coast and a moment later his spiritual form dove into the water.

His plan had worked. None of the other Servants knew where Kariya was, in all likelihood.

But there was one thing distance could not protect him from.

The bond between a Servant and his Master. It didn't care about distance; it simply drained away the Master's prana and gave it to the Servant. Berserker didn't know why his battle would have caused this, but it was the only thing he could think of that had happened about ten ago.

For whatever reason, by using his master's prana, he was hurting him. And he'd used a _lot_ of prana in the battle. Even now, he felt Kariya's energy being feed to him, trying to refill what he'd used up. Moments before, it had even been used to sustain his material form and in every action he took, from walking to blinking.

But he had other sources of prana and, as a dematerialized spirit, he would use up less prana like this. Even now, he could feel the sea quickly feeding him energy and the pull on Kariya dropping. All he could do right now was sit and wait. When all of his prana had returned, he'd fly back to Kariya; until then, he'd just have to hope that his assumption was right.

Because if it wasn't, he'd just left Kariya there to die.

**XxXXxX**

"Your spear bounced off his skin?" Lancer's master asked. "You're sure of that?"

Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi had always been defined by the word 'prodigy.' From the very beginning, he had always been considered better than anyone he'd competed against and had never faced an opponent he couldn't defeat. Even after his desired artifact, which he'd hoped to use to summon Alexander the Great, had been stolen, he had not worried—he'd merely been enraged. Finding out that his former student had summoned the Ancient King in his stead merely added fuel to the fire.

But he still hadn't worried. Despite everything, he had still come through, summoning the Servant Lancer, who he would bet his pride on in this fight.

But now, after the first battle was over…he was worried.

In truth, the battle that had so recently ended profited him a great deal. He'd already known Rider's identity, but having been able to witness the battle, he'd gotten the chance to use the Master's Perspective to view the stats and abilities of other Servants and compare them to Lancer's.

Even he could admit that their stats were frightening. Saber, Archer, Rider, and Berserker…if one were to look at their stats as a whole, each of them was stronger than Lancer.

However, even against physically superior opponents, a Servant's Noble Phantasm could change everything.

And yet…Lancer's had failed.

This, too, said a great deal.

**Gae Dearg – The Crimson Rose of Exorcism**. It wasn't a weapon that could be marveled at for its incredible destructive power like Rider's chariot, but in its own way, it was a very frightening weapon. It was able to render magical enchantments and projections useless by severing all ties with prana. It could pass through the armor of Servants, which was made out of prana, cut holes in bounded fields, nullify any magical enhancements, and could even sever the ties between a source of prana and all its recipients. It's not strong enough to completely destroy the target and it would continue to function normally once the blade was removed, but as long as the blade was in contact with its target, it would disrupt it.

Because of that power, while its sheer destructive power wasn't overwhelming, if it came in contact with another Noble Phantasm it would prove quite dangerous. However…it cannot cancel the effects of completed magecraft or curses. As such, if it simply bounced of Berserker's skin, then, without a doubt…

Berserker's body itself was a Noble Phantasm—specifically, a curse that granted him either resistance or immunity to harm.

Furthermore, having been able to view the battle, Kayneth was able to recognize and understand Berserker's Noble Phantasms. The Deception of Divinity—an effect which worked by increasing its owners Divinity until they were effectively a materialized Divine Spirit. By itself, it granted no Divinity; it 'increased,' but did not 'grant.' All the powers it bestowed were simply a result of that ability—the natural powers of a Divine Spirit. As such, Berserker was surely a demigod—and as the Noble Phantasm had not specifically granted control of the water, it was highly likely that Berserker was the offspring of an sea god or some other aquatic deity.

Putting these two facts together left him with only one real conclusion. Kayneth could only think of one invulnerable demigod of the sea that wore bronze armor and a shield engraved with images.

On the bright side, if his opponent _was_ Achilles, then Lancer could still defeat him. A single strike to his Achilles Tendon with Lancer's other Noble Phantasm, Gae Buidhe, and Berserker's death was almost assured.

And yet…Kayneth could not help but think of the risks. Despite Lancer's prowess and skill with his spears, Achilles was famed for having fought a spearman whose legend, if anything, far surpassed Lancer's. The famous Hector of Troy had fallen to him—who was to say Lancer would not do the same? Achilles may have had one weak point, but he was otherwise invulnerable, and Lancer was not. Even with his knowledge, it was still dangerously possible that it might be Lancer's body being dragged behind a chariot after the battle was over.

But perhaps he should leave that conclusion to Lancer, whose skill far surpassed his as both a warrior and soldier.

"Lancer…what would you say if I told you that I suspected Berserker of being Achilles?" He asked. "If so, his heel would be his weak point…could you defeat him?"

"I think that if you're right, we would have a very dangerous opponent."

Both Lancer and Kayneth shifted their eyes to the woman as she walked out of the bedroom. Despite her flaming red hair, there was definitely something icy about her face and eyes; her name was Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. Despite being younger than him, she was both Kayneth's teacher and his fiancée.

And, more than that, she was also someone whose opinions Kayneth greatly respected.

Seeing that she had their attention, Sola continued.

"In this war, knowledge is power—or, to put it another way, ignorance is weakness. Achilles is, of course, dangerous, as shown in the Iliad. An invulnerable warrior who defeated many heroes, but with a weak point on his heel. And yet…he is more dangerous because of what we do not know of him. The Iliad detailed the last year of a decade of fighting, leaving out the details of the previous nine. Prior to that, the Greeks sailed to Troy, but were lost at sea for eight years. And before that, he spent a number of years hidden as a girl name Pyrrha at his mother's behest and before _that_, Achilles was trained by the Centaur Chiron for an unknown period of time, which was left largely undetailed. He could have done a great deal, during that time—thirty years, at least, which is a span of time that could fit most hero's entire legends."

Kayneth frowned.

"Hidden as a girl?"

"Out of all that, that was what you focused on?" Sola asked. "It was prophesized he would die in the Trojan War but also that the Greeks needed him to win. His mother hid him as a girl on the Isle of Scryos, where he had a child with the princess and presumably did other things, but it's largely undefined."

Kayneth put that aside and focused.

"You're right. There are too many unknowns—he could have done anything in that time period. Chiron taught many heroes, as I remember; he could have taught Achilles a great deal. Perhaps I'm misremembering, but I recall legends of him marrying the witch Medea in the Underworld—whether or not that's true, it's possible he could know magecraft, as it's still part of his legend."

He shook his head.

"Fighting him directly may be too dangerous, even knowing his weakness, but perhaps…" Kayneth closed his eyes contemplatively. "In that battle, he consented to working with Lancer. Given the circumstances, perhaps he would be willing to ally with us…at least for now. It would give us a great advantage, to have the mighty Achilles on our side."

—Indeed, that would be the ideal strategy in his eyes. Using Lancer's Noble Phantasms and hit and run tactics to slowly cripple opponents while avoiding any direct confrontations and then using Berserker's overwhelming power to crush them, they could meet Berserker in the final battle and he could use his Command Seals to win the battle and the war as a whole.

Sola nodded in agreement, before her eyes widened in alarm.

"Though, even if it didn't say for sure in the Iliad, there were rumors about Achilles and Patroclus; perhaps his reasons for allying with Lancer are not completely pure?" She said, seeming honestly worried about it.

Kayneth blinked once, before understanding.

"Ah, yes; in that case, perhaps Lancer should be the one to handle crafting the alliance."

Lancer blinked in turn.

"…What?" He asked, before his eyes widened. "Wait…_what_?"

Kayneth sighed.

"That was a joke, Lancer. Achilles was also married and repeatedly pursued women; the events of the Iliad had a lot to do with a fight over one in particular. And more to the point, I wouldn't actually whore you out."

But even so…for a moment, Sola had seemed honestly alarmed. Kayneth frowned slightly and continued.

"Due to the danger he presents, however, I _would_ like you to be the one to meet with Berserker."

Lancer nodded then, expression having returned to normal.

And then the fire alarm began to ring, followed moments later by the telephone.

Kayneth picked it up unworriedly and listened for a moment.

"It seems there a several fires. They're scattered and not too severe, but it appears to be arson. Given what has happened tonight, it seems unlikely to be a coincidence."

"Someone wants to get rid of the crowd." Sola stated.

"Yes. It looks like someone from earlier wants to play some more. Shall I leave dealing with this matter to you, Lancer?"

"Of course." Lancer stated, already fading away. "I shall return once I am victorious."

**XxXXxX**

Outside, Kiritsugu made a phone call, dialing an empty number.

A moment later, a very small but precisely placed explosion went off within the building and it began to collapse.

Kiristugu gave it a single glance to assure himself that it was working according to plan and then glanced away. To be honest, this was far from ideal—but against a skilled pair of magi, it would be best to deal with them before they had time to set up appropriate counter-measures. More than that, with Matou Kariya absent, Waver Velvet constantly close to his powerful Servant, Tohsaka Tokiomi behind powerful defenses, Kotomine Kirei in the Church, and Caster's master unknown, the fact of the matter was that Lancer's master was the only one he could strike at easily and have an real chance of removing an opponent early in the war—despite the inconvient situation, it was best to act on this chance before the El-Melloi's could secure a better location or establish a Workshop.

And indeed, Kayneth and his wife should be dead. The Servant Lancer would fade away momentarily. It seemed, for a moment, that everything had gone according to plan.

And then he heard the clashing of metal as Lancer and Saber continued to fight.

**XxXXxX**

High above Kiritsugu, on the unfinished thirty-eighth floor, Maiya had been carefully watched the window of her target's hotel room. If Kiritsugu's plan had failed, she would have been in position to ambush them.

However…that did not seem to be necessary. The hotel had completely collapsed and all she was doing now was watching the rubble.

Even so, she was careful. Unmoving, Maiya stared silently at the rubble for three minutes and then lowered her weapon. Despite having seen the destruction of the hotel, she was not excited or tense in the slightest; for her, this was just another day.

Though, admittedly, it had been a very rough day.

Maiya was not one to speak of her feelings, much less allow them to interfere with her work. She also wasn't one to feel emotions for any particular target, as it could interfere with her work.

However, if she was, she would hold a grudge against Berserker, who'd nearly knocked her off a high building and drowned her with that wave he'd conjured. It was probably a coincidence that it had happened to hit both she and Kiritsugu, but if not for Saber, both of them would have drowned.

Of course, even if she had held a grudge—which she didn't—she'd have been powerless to do anything about it to a Servant. Normally, she'd go after the Master instead, but Matou Kariya was quickly proving himself two things; smart and dangerous. Having had a chance to check the police records after they finally examined the Matou household, she was able to confirm that Matou Zouken was dead, and probably killed at Kariya's orders. The house, of course, was empty of people.

Next, she'd checked the house listed under Kariya's name, but it was also empty and Kariya's car was gone. She'd found signs of his Servant living there, apparently trying to draw out people foolish enough to attack some place so obvious and had quickly removed herself from the area.

She'd then attempted to hunt down where Kariya now was, but all signs pointed to him having left the city completely. Given time, Maiya could definitely hunt him down, but with a day's head start and counting, it wouldn't be something that she could do in the middle of the Grail War. Especially since if he caught wind of her, he could summon his Servant with a Command Seal and have him kill her.

Leaving the city could be interpreted in two ways.

It could be viewed simply as an act of cowardice in which he was fleeing for his life, but that didn't make sense. Outside of the Holy War, no one had any reason to chase him and if he was running from the Servants and Masters, he could easily have just made his Servant kill himself with a Command Seal and approach the Church.

The other way it could be interpreted was as a move of complete confidence. Traditionally, all Master's stayed by their Servants to support them and control the War first hand with their magic and Command Seals. Some literally stood on the battlefield while others watched from afar, but none had actually left the city. By doing so, Kariya was basically saying that he had no need to involve himself or even look over Berserker's actions. It was a statement of complete certainty in his own victory.

Granted, if Maiya had a loyal, invulnerable super soldier who could create Tidal Waves on demand at her beck and call, it was possible she might feel a little cocky, too. Irisviel had shared her suspicions that Berserker was Achilles, an extraordinarily dangerous Servant, which also explained his status as Berserker despite his personality—and without his Master present as a target, the only way to the Holy Grail was through his invulnerable hide. It seemed to chaff Kiritsugu slightly, but to defeat Berserker, they would have to rely completely on Saber.

Maiya waited a few more seconds, just to be sure, before removing the bullets from her gun and slinging the assault rifle over her shoulder.

Almost immediately, she froze and she became aware of another presence. No, perhaps it had been there from the beginning, but had simply waited for her to store her most powerful weapon.

But she was never _unarmed_. At most, she was _less_ armed. In a single smooth motion, she drew the 9mm-calibur handgun from her side and pointed it into the shadows.

"—Your senses are sharp, miss."

Maiya did not respond or ask questions. Whoever it was, the simple fact that he'd located her—that was enough for him to become her target.

"And also," The hidden man continued. "It's good that you were prepared."

An object was thrown towards her, landing on the ground in front of her. She quickly shifted her gun down towards it, focusing on it before returning her gun towards the man after she was sure it wasn't dangerous.

Even so, she recognized it immediately as the corpses of one of her bat familiars after she saw the CCD camera on it.

If that was so, then without a doubt, the person in front of her could only be—

"Kotomine Kirei…"

"Oh? This should be the first time we've met, so how do you know my name?" He asked, his tone mocking. "Do you perhaps have precognition? If so, I bet you know lots of other things to. For example, this is a good place to spy on Fuyuki Hyatt hotel's thirty second floor…could someone important live there, I wonder?"

Looking past her, Kirei sighed.

"Even so…blowing up the building, too? That man…can he still be called a magus? No; should he even be considered a magus at all?"

In that moment, Maiya realized something.

This man knows. He knows about Emiya Kiritsugu, just like Emiya Kiritsugu knows about Kotomine Kirei.

"If you have precognition, could you answer a question for me? Where is the man who should be here in your place?"

In that same moment, Maiya realized that this man had to die and pulled the trigger three times.

Yet, she missed completely.

Kotomine's speed may have been great, but there was no way he could dodge a bullet. So, instead, he definitely dodged before she fired.

Not only that, but her gun was sent clattering on the floor. Even as he'd dodged, Kotomine had drawn and thrown the iconic weapon of the Church's Executioners—a Black Key. Even thrown, it had enough force to sink into concrete, but it only cut her hand—it was simply an attack to take away her weapon.

After all, she had yet to answer his question.

He had somehow known that she and Kiritsugu were going to attack this hotel. Knowing that, he'd set up shop nearby and waited for them—without a doubt, she was here for Emiya Kiritsugu. For that reason, he wanted to capture her alive—then, as long as he could make her talk, it would be fine. He could find out where Kiritsugu was, even if he had to break her arms and legs in the process.

But…Maiya should have checked in with Kiritsugu minutes ago. By now, he'd have realized something wrong; if she could hold on a little longer, then…

Suddenly a veil of smoke began to appear on the floor. A simple smoke screen, it was an America model that anyone with the right connections could get.

But Maiya hadn't thrown it. Kotomine knew he would miss, even as he hurled another Black Key.

In seconds, the smoke was gone, and Maiya with it.

He was over a hundred meters from the ground and there were no buildings around that could stand shoulder to shoulder with this once, but definitely…the magus he was after had thrown that bomb. As long as he was able to confirm that, he definitely gained something by coming here this night.

Even as that thought passed through his mind, he glanced to the side, feeling the breath of his Servant.

"Assassin?"

As if waiting to be acknowledged, his Servant materialized.

"Didn't I tell you not to materialize where you can be seen?"

"I'm terribly sorry, Master, but I have a very urgent report to make. As instructed, we have been carefully watching Saber and Lancer's battle, but…someone has chosen to interrupt."

Kotomine understood immediately. If it was a battle between Servants, the only one who could interrupt was, naturally, another Servant.

But was it someone from earlier? Or could it possibly be…?

"Master…Caster has finally chosen to reveal himself."

**XxXXxX**

Saber and Lancer clashed fiercely. Unlike before, on the sands of the beach, their fight now took place in the city and the destruction was obvious. The entire street looked like an earthquake had hit it; windows were broken, lights were shattered, and the road had been cracked and broken.

They had been fighting a life and death battle for nearly ten minutes, and yet…neither of those two warriors had broken a sweat. The destruction of the street was merely a side effect of their clash.

Sweeping his longer spear at Saber's legs, Lancer's weapon carved an arc in the ground as she leapt over it. Bringing up his shorter spear, he managed to block Saber's descending blade just in time, but the sheer impact was enough to break the pavement beneath his feet. Using the blade as a pivot, he turned his entire body, taking one step away so that he could properly swing his longer spear at her throat.

Saber barely leapt out of the way, seeming to have sensed the attack coming before he'd even made it, but he'd clashed blades with her enough times by now to guess see would and had prepared for it, coming around again with a jab of his shorter spear that left his arms pointing in opposite directions before turning his longer around in a flash and thrusting it towards her without even waiting to see if she'd parry the first attack, forcing her to continue her retreat.

In close combat, they were equally skilled, but in this situation, Lancer had the advantage. Having borne witness to the battle earlier, he knew the truth of Saber's blade. Even if it was now invisible, he'd seen its size and shape, and he could counter it as if it were completely visible. Meanwhile, the only one who even had the slightest idea about the truth of Lancer's spears was Berserker—and even then, he only had a vague idea about one.

For Saber, who had no way to know which spear was his Noble Phantasm, she had to be weary of both. Even if she'd know that both were Noble Phantasms, she would have had to be careful—without knowing what either of them did, she could not risk allow herself to be hit.

So it truly said a great deal about Saber's skill with a blade, as well as her sheer physical ability, that she had not received a single blow from either of Lancer's two spears. It spoke even more of _Lancer's_ ability, however, that she had failed to land even a single blow in return, despite having much lower stats than his opponent in almost every regard.

Even so, without a doubt, both of those warriors would have enjoying themselves in a different situation. Rather than fighting Berserker, who was a soldier who would do whatever was needed to achieve result, whether that meant fighting fairly or dirty, Lancer and Saber were, without a doubt, two knights, fighting for their lords. Both of them acknowledged each other's skills and fought all the harder because of it.

And yet…the Grail War was not about enjoyment. Lancer fought because his Master had been in that building as it collapsed. His continued presence revealed that his Master was still alive, but he had no way of knowing how long it would last. Saber fought as she had been order too, for the sole purpose of keeping Lancer away from his Master. There was no honor in holding back a brave knight as his lord was executed, and so Saber felt no joy in this fight.

In this way, it would only be a matter of time before Lancer revealed his Noble Phantasm, and the moment when he did way very well decided the entire fight. That simple fact was the only reason he had yet to reveal his secret weapons—the moment when he first did would be his best chance at victory. If he used it unwisely, he could easily waste the opportunity. But at the same time, he had to move fast.

But in the same way, if his attack failed and Saber learnt of the true nature of his weapons…without a doubt, the tide of the battle would surely shift in that instant.

For a long, tense moment, bother Servants were still, each ready to spring in to action at the slightest movement.

And then they were interrupted.

"—It has been such a long time, O' Holy Maiden." A voice suddenly spoke.

Attention immediately swerved towards the source. At just a glance, it could be easily seen that he wasn't a normal person. He wore a luxurious but archaic robe of scarlet and black and his eyes were abnormally large, like an owl or a cat. And even if one were to ignore that, no normal person would interrupt a fight between two raging heroes, especially not with the barrier raised over the area.

Lancer tensed.

"Friend of yours, Saber?" He asked, suspecting a trap.

"No, I have never seen him before." Saber immediately denied. Having already been forced to use dishonorable tactics, she had no wish to tarnish her reputation further.

The strange man, whose face had seemed so happy, had frozen at her words.

"How can you say that?" He demanded. "Do you not remember me?"

"Rather than remembering, this is the first time we have ever met." Saber said tensely. "Perhaps you have the wrong person."

"It's me! Your loyal servant, Gilles de Rais! I've always prayed that we'd meet again—always waited! For that reason, I came here across space and time, Jeanne!"

Lancer sucked in a sudden breath at the name, while Saber was merely surprised. Already, two Servants had declared their names, whilst Saber had been forced to reveal her own. As Assassin was always one of the faceless Hassan…over half of the Servants had revealed their true identities on the first day of this war; more, if their assumptions about Berserker proved correct.

"I do not know your name, nor do I know of this Jeanne. But as you have already declared your name, I am honor bound to do the same. I am Arturia, the rightful child of Uther Pendragon, and the king of Britain."

"How…could it be? Could you have forgotten who you were in life? Not only that, but your mind has been befuddled! You…you…God, why are you so cruel to this lovely maiden of mine!?"

"…Saber, there is no point in saying anything more to this man." Lancer said.

As Saber was an incomplete Heroic Spirit, she did not possess the knowledge which surpassed both space and time that one gains upon entering the Throne of Heroes. But Lancer was a true Heroic Spirit, and of course he knew about it.

About the insanity of the legendary Bluebeard—Baron Gilles de Rais.

"He used to be a hero in France," Lancer said. "But he turned his back on it all and fell to black magic. No one knows for sure how many people he killed, since he often burned the bodies, but estimates have gone as high as six hundred. But they all have one thing in common—the victims were between the ages of six and eighteen."

Caster narrowed his eyes in annoyance at being interrupted, but made no attempt to protest his innocence. He just seemed annoyed that Lancer would dare talk. For her part, Saber widened her eyes in shock at Lancer's words before narrowing abruptly. She lifted her blade and set her jaw—this was a person that she couldn't possibly leave alone.

Lancer continued without pausing.

"His descent into madness came at about the same time that Jeanne d'Arc met her end. The two were connected and fought beside each other, but perhaps you look like her, Saber. However…without a doubt, that man is insane; he has accepted you as Joan of Arc and words will not convince him otherwise."

For a moment, Caster was silent as he carefully observed Saber, who was already too angry to speak. The mad light in his eyes had slowly diminished and his face had calmed.

But it was not sanity or reason that had replaced it, but a silent resolution. His belief had not faded in the slightest—if anything, it had just grown strong through being denied.

"…It seems that words alone won't be enough. Has even your heart been sealed, Jeanne?" Caster lamented. "Then I'm very sorry—it seems I must use enforced therapy on you. Have no fear—no matter what needs to be done, I will definitely see it through."

Lancer and Saber immediately tensed at his words. There should have been absolutely no need to worry. After all, he was a Caster and they each belonged to one of the Knight classes. In physical combat, Caster…without a doubt, he was no threat to them. Either of them could effortlessly crush him and end the matter in mere seconds. The Caster class's only advantage—it great magical power—would mean little to nothing against either of them, thanks to the Magic Resistance inherent to their classes.

Saber, who was untouchable to modern magi…Lancer, who could only be affected by High-Thaumaturgy and Greater Rituals…in a battle against someone who had to rely completely on magic, victory against either of them was something that should have been 'impossible.' Caster's spells would be canceled completely if they targeted either of them, so…there should have been nothing to fear.

And yet…why was it?

Why did both of those Servants feel an irrepressible tremor of fear?

All Caster had done was reach into the folds of his cloak and retrieve a simple book.

The book was strange looking, with a cover of wet, glistening human flesh. It was disgusting, but…a Caster with a spell book wasn't unusual. And neither Saber nor Lancer was so new to battle or death that they would be unnerved by the sight of a book bound in skin.

And yet—

"Cthulhu fhtagn." Caster said.


End file.
